Vale anguish

Keys had to win or draw to keep Vale off the bottom, but though an injury-hit squad battled valiantly until half time, they ran out of steam and were well beaten at the final whistle.

Now comes the WRU's infamous end-of-season review to decide if there will be any relegation, with Vale awaiting the result of that before deciding whether to take further action.

Ebbw Vale chief executive Ray Harris said: "We will wait for the WRU's decision, that's all we can do. They meet on Thursday night and could make a decision then. "Depending on that decision, we have decided on a particular course of action we may take."

That is likely to be to seek an injunction preventing relegation by the WRU, an action Llanelli were contemplating had they finished bottom.

They could also seek the backing of the Welsh Premier Division clubs who have written to the WRU saying they will not accept relegation.

The majority of Premier clubs both in Gwent and elsewhere have long thought that had Cardiff or Llanelli finished bottom, they would have been kept in the Premier Division by the WRU.

All accept ring fencing the division (as Harris claims was promised by WRU chief executive David Moffett before the introduction of regional rugby at last year's AGM) is the sensible course.

But though it is believed at least one influential WRU official now favours this having twice been a party to rejecting it in recent months, nothing is ever straight forward with the WRU.

As for last night, Cross Keys captain Tyron Morris, once a Vale player, showed how much he wanted to help his former side for he risked a place in Saturday's Konica Minolta Cup final by playing. As he is not cuptied, he has answered a Caerphilly SOS to play against Neath at the Millennium Stadium but played last night, receiving a stitch in a cut around the left eye, though Caerphilly wanted him to drop out.

"My commitment is to Cross Keys," he said, "and we did want to win the game a lot even if it may not have looked like it at times.

"We have had a lot of injuries, myself included, and have had to play a lot of games in a short time and this was just a game too far after facing Newport on Saturday."

Keys forwards coach Simon King said: "The team was cobbled together a little bit because of injuries and we let a few soft tries in, but Llandovery had more to play for and got what they deserved.

"We had chances in the first half and should have scored just before the interval, but at 10-3 we were in the game.

"But in the second half they stepped up the pace and we just didn't have enought fit players to cope."

Keys, with three hookers injured and Chris Thomas in on permit from Pontypool, lost seven lineouts on their own throw with three others deemed crooked and were also second best in the scrums.

It was from two lost lineouts just inside their 22 that they conceded ten points in the opening six minutes, Llandovery drives setting up first a penalty and then a converted try for centre Emrys Evans.

But with Morris and his back row outstanding, the pack got right on top just before the interval and a Darren Miles penalty should have been added to when centre Rhodri Williams held on and was tackled with a two-man overlap and a try beckoning.

Llandovery were already making mistakes and looking wobbly and a try then might have unsettled them even more.

But Llanelli Scarlets centre Tal Selley jinked through to set up a converted 48th minute touchdown for flanker Ceri Davies and that settled the nerves and they added three more tries in the last 23 minutes.

Llandovery: R Williams, J Roberts, T Selley, E Evans, Ioan Davies, N Clapham (G May 43 min), R Walters (G Jones 74 min), D Williams, Andrew Jones (D Hughes 74 min), Andrew C Jones (J Bennett 78 min), T Walker (Iwan Davies 75 min), A Davies, C Davies, L Plesko (W Beynon 74 min), S Phillips. Scorers: Tries: C Davies (2), Evans, Walker, Roberts; conversions: R Williams (5); penalty: Williams. Cross Keys: D Miles, M McKee, R Williams (D Dark 65 min), G Chapman, Price, O Biddiscombe, T Walsh (N Powell 75 min), I Evans, C Thomas (R Draper 49 min), D Evans (D Crimmins 60 min), D Hallmen (A Fisher 60 min), M Curtis, P Watkins, T Morris, B Watkins. Scorers: Penalty: Miles. l Mal Beynon has resigned as the WRU representative on the Ebbw Vale board, citing increased business commitments.