FOR a team in the running for league honours Pontypool looked stodgy and strangely out of sorts throughout the first half of their match at the Memorial Ground in Ely in which they ran out 30-19 victors over Glamorgan Wanderers.

But a half time instruction session and a renewed example of how to lead from the front by Mark Jones produced much better ball for the backs after the interval and the result was an emphatic win to keep the pressure on Aberavon at the top of the table.

Ball winning apart the difference between the two sides was at half back. Wanderers started with the two Treharne brothers Garan and Bruan who stuggled for any cohesion and were eventually parted.

Pontypool had the masterly Byron Hayward assured in all he did partnered with quick silver Nicky Lloyd.

There was also Lenny Woodard on the wing. Denied a first half try by a late tackle that earned his marker Jonathan Davies ten minutes in the sin bin he came back to touchdown with the last movement of the first half and notched another just before the final whistle.

These three - Hayward, Lloyd and Woodard - epitomised all that was progressive about the Pontypool side. And Mark Jones with unremitting assistance from Ian Jones, Kuli Faletau and Owen Price demonstrated once again how to pull league points out of the fire when your opponents are looking strong.

Hayward spurned place kicks in the opening quarter reckoning on his forwards establishing a secure platform at the lineout.

Wanderers did a fair amount of spoiling though and it was from hard won possession in the loose that most of Pooler's five tries were eventually created with some impressive skills on display.

Woodard led the way with his brace of tries and Chris Landry and Kae Trayharne needed no second bidding when the chances came their way to go over.

Hayward's try was the one that did it for Wanderers when they were still knocking on the door at 22-16.

In the end it was a team effort and one well worth their supporters travelling to see.