Vale pay a heavy price

TWO tries, 14 points and lost momentum, which ultimately cost them the game, was the heavy price Ebbw Vale paid for having number eight Will Thomas sin-binned at St Helens.

Thomas was sent off for ten minutes just after half-time for holding onto the ball as he drove forward with referee Nigel Owens judging he had killed the ball, preventing Swansea from gaining possession.

While Thomas was off, Swansea's centre Matthew Brayley and lock Andrew Farley both grabbed converted tries as the home side were finally allowed to get their act together.

Former Wales fly half Arwel Thomas started kicking for territory, pinning Vale back with long touch finders and ended up with 18 points, as Swansea got the bit between their teeth and pulled away, even earning themselves a thirteen point cushion.

But when Will Thomas was temporarily dismissed, Vale were 15-7 ahead having played by far the better rugby and they were punished for their player not releasing the ball when going forward.

Fair enough, but to lose a man for ten minutes seems an extortionately high price to pay, especially when Thomas was going forward - what is deemed positive play. It is only really fair to temporarily send off a player when he is killing the ball in defence - a negative action - and is preventing the attacking team scoring.

A yellow carding seems especially harsh when a penalty would have snuffed out the attacking move and given possession back to Swansea.

But whatever the argument, Vale are now champing at the bit to get their teeth into the Whites as the sides face each other again in the Welsh Premiership at Eugene Cross Park tomorrow night (7.30pm).

The Steelmen feel they have a score to settle after they virtually dominated the first half and looked like they were going to pull away after the break.

This is not a particularly good Swansea side, they have conceded a huge 160 points in their last three games, but they opened the scoring when wing Johnny Vaughton ran onto an Arwel Thomas chip through, with the former adding the conversion all inside the first five minutes.

Swansea prop Ben Evans was then yellow carded for tipping at a line-out and Vale fly-half Scott Mitchell converted the penalty.

Swansea's half backs youngster Darren Pittard and Arwel Thomas were both pressurised by Vale scrum half Andrew Bevan who had another good game and put in a huge driving tackle on Swansea centre Steve Winn

A typically darting run from the Ebbw number nine through a gap in the Swansea defence from the base of a scrum put Vale into space.

Wales Under-21 wing Liam Roberts was in support and when the ball was recycled, full back Richard Davies went over for Vale's first try converted by Mitchell.

When centre Nick Wakely added a second Vale try just after thirty minutes, also converted by Mitchell, Vale were growing in confidence and looked like they had taken the game by the scruff of the neck.

But 26 points were scored by the Whites in the second half, with only a try from winger Aaron Takarangi to show for Vale's efforts, Thomas' short dismissal didn't cost Ebbw the game. Costly handling mistakes and turned-over possession did that.

Midway through the second half, coach Mike Ruddock brought on some of his more experienced players like Tongan international Kati Tuipulotu and last season's captain Chay Billen, plus half backs Mark Meenan and Bryan Shelbourne, but the tide was against them.

Once Arwel Thomas finds his kicking range, there's no stopping him and he landed two late drop-goals to make sure there was no way back for Vale even when they closed the scores down to 24-20.

The last time the two teams met at St Helens, only a brace of tries from British Lion centre Scott Gibbs saved Swansea's blushes and again they got off the hook pretty easily this time.

But with Swansea captain Colin Charvis and prop Ben Evans away with the Wales side preparing for Friday night's international at Wrexham against Romania, Swansea may not have it their way at Eugene Cross Park tomorrow night.

Swansea: S Payne (rep G Swales 78 mins), J Vaughton, M Brayley, S Winn, M Robinson, A Thomas, D Pittard (R Wells 78 mins), S Pope, C Balshen (rep C Wells 71), B Evans (D Dorsey 63 mins), J Griffiths (J Slade 63 mins), A Farley, R Francis (R Jenkins 76 mins), Tu Tamarua (D Thomas 60 mins), C Charvis.

Yellow card: B Evans 11 mins

Scorers: Vaughton, Brayley, Farley; cons: A Thomas (3), pens: A Thomas (2), drop-goals: A Thomas (2) Ebbw Vale: R Davies, L Roberts, M Ridley, N Wakely, A Takarangi, S Mitchell (M Meenan 57 mins), A Bevan (B Shelbourne 57 mins), A Black, J Evans (L Phillips 40 mins), M Jones, O Booyse (C Billen 63 mins), P Sidoli, R Williams (K Tuipulotu 63 mins), P Williams, W Thomas Yellow card: W Thomas 47 mins Scorers: tries: R Davies, N Wakley, A Takarangi, con: Mitchell, pen: Mitchell

* Picture: Vale's Andrew Bevan releases the ball against Swansea