Charmed Wizards weave their spell

Cross Keys 15 Aberavon 22

CROSS Keys didn't receive the rub of the green during this narrow Welsh Premiership defeat against Aber-avon at Pandy Park.

Some crucial decisions had gone against the Gwent side before the replacement centre had a second try ruled out in the 70th minute.

A touch judge felt that Williams had lost control of the ball in the act of touching down - and with that decision went the game.

The Wizards, who were 17-15 up at that stage, had been reduced to 14 men with the sin-binning of replacement prop Paul Breeze in the 64th minute for ball-killing.

But crucially, Keys failed to register a score during his absence, and as if to rub salt in the wounds, full-back Richard Lewis touched down two minutes after Breeze returned.

There was never much to choose between the two teams.

Keys suffered at the lineouts, with seven being lost on their throw, but they did build up an advantage at the scrums even before Breeze was yellow-carded.

"The heavy conditions suited Aberavon down to the ground, but we managed to achieve parity among the forwards," said Cross Keys forwards coach Simon King.

He added: "I don't like criticising referees, but a crop of bad decisions went against us.

"We looked sharper behind the scrum than Aberavon, and if the second Rhodri Williams try had been allowed, I think we would have won.

We now look forward to the clash at Neath on Saturday, followed by the big cup showdown with Newport."

Keys were strangely subdued during the opening quarter and they leaked a 12th-minute try to centre David Hawkins, engineered by fly-half Jamie Davies.

It wasn't until the 20th minute that the home side cranked up their try-scoring machinery, with prop Dan Evans claiming his fourth league try of the campaign.

Things were more even during the second quarter, and Keys went in with an 8-7 lead thanks to a Darren Miles penalty, struck in the 37th minute.

With captain and flanker Tyron Morris stoking up his pack, Keys took the game to the Wizards on the resumption.

Only stout defence kept them out, and when Aberavon regained their poise, fly-half Jamie Davies placed a 48th-minute penalty.

Back came Keys with a peach of a try on the hour, fly-half Scott Mitchell breaking, and replacement centre Williams went through a gap to touch down.

Miles converted, taking him on to 197 points this season, but the lead lasted two minutes.

Centre David Hawkins sprinted 30 metres for his second try of the game, and a well-judged conversion from fly-half Davies took Aberavon back ahead at 17-15.

Two minutes later Breeze was carded, and to patch up their scrum the Wizards used centre Darren Ryan as a flanker.

But Keys failed to make the extra man count, and it was Lewis' try which sent Aberavon on the way to a seasonal double.

CROSS KEYS: D Miles, M McKee, D Dark (rep R Williams 49 mins), L Humphreys, G Chapman, S Mitchell, T Walsh, I Evans (rep A Fisher 66), A Brown, D Evans (rep D Crimmins 66), M Curtis, D Hallman, B Watkins, W Thomas (rep P Watkins 61), T Morris (capt, rep M Davies 78).

Scorers: Tries: D Evans, R Williams; Con: D Miles; Pen: D Miles. ABERAVON: R Lewis, S Greenaway, David Hawkins (rep A James 64), D Ryan, R Price, J Davies, Daniel Hawkins, M Harris, J Jones, G Dix (repl P Breeze 49), C Gittins (capt), D Owen, J Purnell, R Morris, C Thomas (repl G Dix 64, rep S Edwards 74).

Scorers: Tries: David Hawkins (2), R Lewis; Cons: J Davies (2); Pen: J Davies.

Yellow card: P Breeze 64 mins. REFEREE: Richard Hughes (Llandysul).