Fixture

A horror show in defence by the Old Firm in the last 15 minutes allowed Gilfach to turn this Division 1 East Central game on its head and recover from 14-6 down to score two soft tries and run out winners, denying Mount even a bonus point for their efforts. The Old Firm had looked on course for a win, having had the better of the scoring chances up until then, although they were unable to take them and kill the game off, and were made to pay for it. Although Mount were a man down after 5 minutes due to a yellow card, outside half Sam Withers kicked a 25 metre penalty shortly after from wide out to make it 3-0. After a turnover at a Mount scrum on half way, Gilfach were awarded a penalty which was kicked into the Mount 22, and after several drives, the visitors were awarded a 20 metre penalty, which was converted by scrum half Ian Davies to level the score at 3-3 after 15 minutes. Open play was at a premium, the pitch starting to cut up, but from a ruck in the home 22, centre Dafydd Hellard beat his opposite number to break away up to half way, but a lack of support saw the move stopped. The Old Firm seemed to be getting into the game and some delicate passing between Withers, centre Shaun Davies and wing Tom Owen took play into the Gilfach half, but a failure to move the ball into space saw another move break down. The pressure was building on Gilfach and after Mount were awarded a penalty from a scrum near the visitors’ 22, scrum half Ross Davies was impeded and even though second row Jarrod Parfitt looked to have broke through in midfield, the referee gave Mount a penalty and yellow carded a Gilfach player. Withers kicked the 25 metre penalty to put Mount 6-3 up after 32 minutes.

The second half couldn’t have started better for the Old Firm when hooker and captain, Craig Evans, caught a loose kick out of defence by Gilfach and started a counter attack, giving a well timed inside pass when tackled, to second row Jarrod Parfitt who run in for the first try of the day from 25 metres out to put Mount 11-3 up. A failure to secure the restart saw a turnover which led to Gilfach pressure in the Mount 22, from which the visitors kicked a 15 metre penalty after pressurising the home scrum. Influential scrum half Ross Davies had to leave the field with a cut head and after the Old Firm made three changes at forward, a turnover in the Mount 22 saw the ball moved quickly to centre Hellard who again beat his opposite number and tore down the field giving to wing Josh Davies who was tackled into touch 15 metres out. Hellard was again in the action with a superb 50 metre clearance kick from the Mount 22 after a long kick up field by the visitors. After 62 minutes, from a scrum on the Gilfach 22, the Old Firm were awarded a penalty which Withers kicked to take the lead up to 14-6. Once again the lead was short lived. A harmless looking kick into the Mount 22 was marked and taken quickly, only for it to be charged down by Gilfach wing Dean Evans, who run in unopposed under the posts for a  try, which was converted, to make it    14-13. Wing Tom Owen made ground up to the Gilfach 22 and after No.8 Kriss Sanders had taken the ball on from a scrum on halfway, a Gilfach forward conceded a penalty for offside, which Withers kicked expertly from a narrow angle into the Gilfach 22. But, disappointingly, it came to nothing, as a lineout take by second row Richard Griffiths, moved wide into midfield, was turned over and cleared by Gilfach. After a visiting back almost intercepted a long pass in midfield, on the Mount 10 metre line, Gilfach still found space out wide, near halfway, to put their wing away who chipped into the Old Firm’s 22 where a knock on gave the visitors a scrum just 15 metres out. A good scrum by the Mount pack saw the ball turned over after a knock on, but after winning the second scrum, another turnover at a ruck in the Mount 22 saw the visitors pick up and drive on several times for Gilfach scrum half Dean Evans to touch down in the 80^th minute, and give his side the lead for the first time in the game. The try was converted and in injury time, Gilfach rubbed salt into the Old Firm’s wounds with a 25 metre penalty, awarded from a scrum, to deny Mount even a bonus point.