Fixture

Following successive home games bringing a draw against Skewen and victory against Brynamman, Birchgrove headed up to the Llynfi Valley today to take on Nantyfyllon. This was our first visit to the Maesteg side’s new pitch adjacent to their magnificent Club House and Training facility and a hard fought game unfortunately saw us lose by the odd point 21-20.

The game started with a visiting flourish as within a minute a Sam Evans penalty put us 0- 3 in the lead. Almost from the restart Chris Gorvett snapped up a loose ball and making good ground offloaded to the ever supporting Josh Key who put Sam Evans in for try number one which he also converted and at 0-10 the visiting support were thinking the journey over the Bryn was well worth it.

Nanty though had other ideas and their forwards were soon able to build a platform and their elegant outside half Ellis Bird (Son of local stalwart Jeff Bird ex  Maesteg, Neath and Llanelli Back) was able to get them back in to the game with two well taken penalties 6 – 10.

Birch continued in positive fashion though and a powerful break from Tristan James  was carried on by strong running wing Josh Jarett and Ashley Evans was on hand  to get the visitors second touch down and conversion to give Sam Evans personal points haul of 12 and the away side some clear water at 6 – 17.

In this see sawing game the lead however was to be short lived as some quick thinking from centre Cameron Jones put him in for the home side’s second try converted by Bird and a close run 13 -17 half time score.

Against a slight wind Birchgrove were first on the score sheet for the second half as the visitors continued their solid forward game with Huw Wilkes, Scott Beard and Chris Gorvett to the fore. A further penalty award converted by Sam Evans stretched the lead and the away support confidence to 13 – 20.

This close encounter still had a few twists though as Nanty remained dogged in the face of Birchgrove endeavour and from some loose play it was the home side who were to strike back with an unconverted try from Rio Davies to cut back the lead to a slender 2 points at 18 – 20.The game was now becoming a war of attrition and Nanty were able to take the lead for the first time in the game with a Bird penalty 21 -20

The spirit of the visitors remained firm though as halfbacks Scott Gibson and  Leigh Di’lulio probed and with support from the loose forwards and still energetic backs looked far from beaten as the clock was ticking away. It looked as if their effort was to be rewarded as a long range penalty option saw Evans opt to go for the posts. A mammoth kick sailed majestically through the rarefied Valley air only to strike a post to the disappointment of all except the relived home support.

The game continued at a frantic pace and it really was anyone’s to take and once again it looked as if the victory would be ours. Another penalty, this time closer and to the right of the posts.  Evans steps up confident and with the hush of the crowd, save for one unsporting interruption, struck the ball with his usual firmness but once again lady luck was to intervene in the shape of the far post.

A shriek of disappointment from one side and a howl of relief from the other and that was the margin of a good, hard and competitive game which ran out 21 – 20 the home side.

Onwards and upwards as we prepare for the next challenge a home game against Waunarlwydd  scheduled for Friday 17^th March but which may be brought forward to the Thursday. Watch this space and see you there.

Candidates for Man of the Match this week from the independent panel :-

Sam Evans- 1 try and 15 point haul

Tristan James – strong running at centre

Scott Beard – always a handful for the opposition forwards

Leigh Di’lulio and Scott Gibson – a probing half back Duo

But the MOM goes to Huw Wilkes a sterling forward performance made all the better by the fact that he may have played for 60 minutes with a broken rib.

Our intrepid photographer Jeff Miles was on Family duty today and unable to be at the game so unfortunately no action pics from Jeff this week.