Last gasp try secures victory for Gowerton.
Olchfa 1st XV: 12 Gowerton 1st XV: 17
Gowerton travelled to Olchfa in the Ospreys region senior schools league and in a very keenly contested game the visitors came out on top by virtue of scoring a last gasp try with the final move of the game.
Fly half Steffan Tyrrell looks to off load.
Although overhead conditions were bright, there was a strong wind blowing straight down the pitch which favoured the hosts in the first half. Despite playing against the elements, the visitors dominated the first quarter with props Tom Northey and Richard Keefe, lock Sam Clark and No.8 Joel Young all carrying strongly and with scrum half Milo Fleming marshalling his forwards intelligently the visitors exerted a stranglehold on the game. It looked inevitable that their pressure would allow them to open the scoring, but the hosts had other ideas and their resilient defence refused to yield. To the fore for the hosts were No.8 Joe Browett whose tackling was uncompromising and flankers James Toland and Rhydian George who achieved a number of turnovers.
In the 22nd minute, the hosts’ defensive effort bore fruit when they opened the scoring with a try started from within their 22. Fly half Gabriel Emery chipped behind the visiting defence, full back Tom Howell reached the ball first and kicked 60 metres upfield, his pace took him clear of the visiting defenders. He regained possession and fed wing Mike Wilson who crossed for a try that fly half Emery converted.
Scrum half Milo Fleming bursts clear.
The hosts were back on the attack immediately and opened their account in the 25th minute when the impressive lineout work of hooker Marcus Besley and flanker Max Harris allowed Gowerton to catch and drive a lineout and prop Northey was able to claim the score.
This score only seemed to galvanise the hosts and they scored their second try when a fine run by wing Wilson took him to within 10 metres of the visitors’ line where he found fly half Emery on his inside. He still had plenty to do, but brushed aside two would be tacklers to cross for a score that gave them the advantage 12-5 at the break.
Gowerton had the advantage of the wind in the second period and attacked from the kick off, but the hosts buoyed by their first half performance continued to be strong in defence with centre Oscar Edgington another who proved unflinching. Gowerton played with more width with fly half Steffan Tyrrell and centre Anthony Osborne both distributing well and wings Joe Morris and David Carpanini both carried strongly and they reduced the deficit in the 48th minute when after Carpanini was halted just short of the line the combination of hooker Besley and flanker Harris again linked well at a lineout allowing Besley to snipe around the fringe to touch down.
The visitors continued to press for the winning score, but the combination of the difficult conditions and the impressive defence of the hosts looked like it would prevail. However, Gowerton’s man of the match, hooker Besley had other ideas and powered through a tiring defence. When he released the ball, it was moved to centre Tom Howell and he showed both his pace and his power to score in the corner. Howell added the extras and the full time whistle followed.
