Huw S Thomas reports:
Llandovery’s record for the season after this victory over their Gwent visitors is now won nine, lost nine, drawn one and the Carmarthenshire side is confidently on its way to confirm a top eight play-off spot.
They owed their narrow win to former Wales A, Grenoble and Albi fly-half Cerith Rees who slotted a very difficult penalty into the wind in the eighth minute of injury time.
It was the Drovers’ third consecutive win against visitors from Gwent. After beating Pontypool 42-10 and Ebbw Vale 36-0, they can make it four in a row on Saturday if they can get the better of Newport at Church Bank.
Llandovery chairman Handel Davies was delighted if very relieved after a keenly fought game between two evenly matched sides. “To turn around the result after our 38-7 drubbing at Cross Keys in December shows the improvement that the side has made since Christmas,” said Davies. “It is already our best season ever since the introduction of the semi-pro league in 2003 and we are hopefully closing in on a play off spot.”
Keys coach Greg Woods was happy enough with the three point defeat. “Perhaps we deserved a draw but that was a terrific kick from Cerith (Rees) and one point is a fair result for us at a place where we have got very little joy in recent years.”
Woods must have hoped for more than a point in the first-half when Keys were marginally the better side but full-back Gareth David could put over just two out of four penalties. Rees got two penalties for Llandovery to tie the scores before the Drovers showed marked improvement in the second half.
Their line out was better, the pack in general more abrasive and their broken field play more cutting with exciting full-back Lee Rees counter-attacking brilliantly at times. And it was the Tregib CS product from Penygroes who finished off mounting pressure with a corner try converted by his more experienced namesake.
Cerith Rees snapped a drop goal and Llandovery looked ready to pull clear. But Keys were always dangerous on the counter and David kicked a goal to make it 16-9.
Llandovery had the better chances but a try in the 80th minute by wing Jack Bird, converted by David, looked to have snatched two points from them before Rees’s classy intervention in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
It took his league tally up to 179 points and his cup and league total to 209 points for the season.
Supporters Man of the Match:
Cerith Rees