Fixture

After last week’s narrow defeat at Skewen, Birchgrove took on a Glynneath team brimming with confidence following their 71 – 20  demolition of league newcomers Builth Wells.

The start did not go Birchgrove’s way as from the kick off they found themselves a man down as referee Ian Davies adjudged that a tackle on the opposition receiver was illegal and warranted an early reduction to 14 men.

Birch though unfazed were soon in the lead courtesy of a 40 yard Rhys Herbert penalty kick followed by a second and at 6 – 0 in front you thought that this may be our day after all. Glynneath had other ideas though as their sharp back division soon started to put moves together leading to the games first try and conversion and the lead overturned 6 – 7.

It was the visitors now who were showing some tight scrum dominance and attacking enterprise and a defensive maul on 30 minutes was to become a defining moment as the referee again took a hand with another dismissal but on this occasion of a permanent nature and now facing the prospect of playing with 14 men in the searing heat left Birch with an uphill struggle.

Despite not showing signs of surrender as Adam Percival, skipper Leigh Di’uilio and forwards Lewis Cox and Chris Gorvett were prominent in rearguard defence and the occasional counter break two converted tries from the visitors left the home side in a difficult position at 6 - 21 at half time.

Things were to get worse soon after the restart with influential scrum half Scott Gibson suffering a hamstring injury and leaving the field. Forward pressure allowed the visitors to extend their lead with a penalty 6 -24. Then the normally tight defensive cover was to fail and allow the Glynneath number 8 to wriggle out of  a couple of tackles for a bonus point  touch down 6 – 29.

The game was over as a contest and pride was now the only thing that could be salvaged but although this was in evidence all over the field from the home side another moment of indiscipline hampered this quest and a reduction to 13 men for a further 10 minutes was too much to defend.

The visitors were unyielding in their attack as the score board ticked up and despite continued dogged attempts to stem the attacking wave the try count increased to seven and an unwelcome score of 6 -48. The strength of character was to prevail for the home side though as even within defeat there was no surrender as their pursuit of a closing consolation score was satisfied with replacement Aled Thomas going over for a converted try and a final score of 13 -48.

A difficult game and a heavy defeat punctuated with some unnecessary indiscipline and on the day an opposition who were clinical in capitalising upon their chances and our mistakes.

It is early days and we now have a run of home games to get things back on track starting with Ystradgynlais next week ko 2.30pm, see you there.

Always a difficult task to select a Man of the Match in a heavy reversal but for sheer effort and doggedness in defeat, a number of candidates stood out :-

Leigh Di’uilio

Chris Gorvett

Adam Percival

Liam Richards.

Man of the Match goes to ADAM PERCIVAL