Crosskeys 15-19 Pontypridd

Pontypridd remained top of the Welsh Premiership following a hard fought win at Pandy Park.

The away side got off to a positive start, an early break in midfield by Gary Williams setting the tone, and taking the lead after six minutes through a Simon Humberstone penalty. A dust up between flankers Ed Siggery and Rhys Peebles a minute later saw both shown the yellow card by referee Gwyn Morris. Ponty extended the lead to six points after ten minutes, Humberstone putting over an easy penalty. Keys hit back and almost scored the game’s opening try, winger Jamie Davies being stopped short of the line by a superb Humberstone tackle.

However, it was the home team that scored the first try of the game by outside Steffan Jones after seventeen minutes. A long pass from scrum half Owen Jones put him through a hole in the midfield, before setting off on a forty metre arc to score an unconverted try.

It was bad news for Ponty soon after as captain Chris Dicomidis was assisted off the field with a leg injury with Darren Waters coming on as replacement.

Keys’ indiscipline proved to be their undoing, a second yellow card was issued to hooker Jamie Sollis after twenty-six minutes. The turning point came three minutes later when after another bust up between the forwards, prop Ryan Harford was sin-binned, and flanker Peebles receiving his second yellow, meaning an early end to his evening’s work.

The home side took the lead a minute into the second half through a Steffan Jones penalty, although that was cancelled out two minutes later through Humberstone’s third penalty of the game.

From then on it was the league leaders that dominated most of the possession and territory. An Ed Siggery charge down almost resulted in a try, but the ball was held up over the line. Pressure earned its reward after fifty-five minutes as from a line out five metres from the line, a rolling maul saw Ryan Savage score his first try for the club, in his 111^th game. Humberstone slotted over the resulting conversion for an eleven point lead.

Despite making a number of changes, Pontypridd kept up their momentum, looking for a second try but  settling for a Humberstone drop goal after sixty-seven minutes - his fifth of the season.

It was the home side that ended the game on the attack, looking for a try to give them a losing bonus point. Going into injury time, they were camped on the Pontypridd try line with only some excellent defence keeping them out. Their effort intensified when hooker Huw Dowden became the third Pontypridd player to be shown a yellow card.

The majority of the crowd thought the game was over when Keys knocked the ball on right under the Ponty posts, but referee Morris allowing another phase of play. Keys threw everything into the last scrum of the game and the bonus point came when a Pontypridd mistake within their own dead ball area saw Steffan Jones dive on the loose ball to score his second try of the game which he duly converted.

It was however the away team support that went home happy celebrating a 15pts to 19 win for Pontypridd.

Cross Keys: Tries – S Jones (2), con – S Jones; pen – S Jones

Pontypridd: Try – R Savage; con – S Humberstone; pens – S Humberstone (3); drop-goal –S Humberstone