Last gasp Marshall wins it for year 11.
No.8 Kieryn Lewis bursts away from the base of a scrum.
Pentrehafod year 11:5
Gowertonyear11: 10.
Gowerton year 11 continued their Welsh schools’ cup programme when they travelled to play Pentrehafod. The hosts have a fine reputation for developing talented footballers and in recent years they have produced some fine school rugbysides and Gowerton knew that if they were to return with the spoils, they would need to be at their best.
Dafydd Williams and Scott Smith are in quickly to achieve a turnover.
The first half was very keenly contested, and although the game was still scoreless at the break, that was more to do with the quality of both defences rather than the paucity of the attacking play.
For the visitors, hooker Dafydd Williams was on top in the scrums and his accurate throwing allowed lock Jack Petherbridge to dominate in the lineouts. The back row of Sam Winrow, Scott Smith and Kieryn Lewis all impressed with their ball carrying.
Behind the scrum, centre and captain Lewis Macdermott led his team by example, but it was full back Rhodri Tyrrell who won the man of the match award for his impressive all round kicking, tackling and counter attacking.
In the first half, both teams spurned kickable penalties and were keen to attack with the ball in hand and were only denied an opening try by some committed last ditch tackling.
Lock Jack Petherbridge leaps high to secure another Gowerton lineout.
In the second half, it was Gowerton who eventually broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute when great handling from deep with full back Tyrrell, lock Petherbridge, wing Brandon Gordon and flanker Liam Brook all involved set up a position deep inside the hosts ‘22’. Quick ball allowed scrum half Leighton Lamb the opportunity to probe for a gap, he committed the defence and fed wing James Rudderham and his slight of hand allowed fly half Nathan Williams to cross in the corner.
The game continued to be well balanced and both teams had opportunities to gain the second score, but with defences continuing to prove difficult to breach, it looked like the game would be settled by the single store. However, with 4 minutes left the hosts scored and the game was tied and could have gone either way.
Sam Winrow bursts away from the base of a scrum.
It was Gowerton who gained victory when centre Macdermott made ground in midfield. Flankers Luke Snell, and prop Josh Neill took the ball up to the hosts’ line and when Pentrehafod were penalised, scrum half Lamb tapped it quickly and his swift pass allowed wing Jordan Marshall to dive over in the corner for the winning score.
Leighton Lamb looks to find space.
