Cross Keys 0

Pontypridd 13

CROSS Keys went to Sardis Road in September and did a number on their hosts. It was payback time on Saturday as Pontypridd produced a streetwise performance to record a comprehensive victory.

Ponty were the best side in virtually every aspect of the game and were good value for the four points. In scrum- half Andrew Jenkins they had a man who knew exactly how to play the boggy conditions and he kept Keys at arm's length all afternoon.

It was only after centre Adam Thomas crossed for the game's only try with 59 minutes on the clock that Keys were truly out of the game, but even 6-0 had looked beyond them as they struggled in terms of territory and possession.

In contrast, Jenkins and half-back partner Gareth McCarthy, the former Newport Gwent Dragon who made seven appearances for Ebbw Vale earlier in the season, executed the Ponty gameplan to perfection.

Coach Dale McIntosh, confined to the stands for 12 months after giving the referee some verbals in their game with Glamorgan Wanderers, must have been a happy man as he watched his pack rumble forward and his half-backs chipping away with the boot.

Meanwhile, Keys struggled and missed skipper Ben Watkins both in the loose and the line-out, the lock serving a suspension after totting up three yellow cards.

Lloyd Burns and Colin Bridges had the occasional forceful carry, but on the whole the pack lacked vigour and menace.

Much of the credit for that has to go to the visitors' back row, who were superb, with captain Nathan Strong to the fore, ably supported by flanker Rhys Shellard.

The first half was charac- terised by squabbles as frustration took hold because of the frequent weather-forced errors. Keys' Rhys Peebles and Ponty's Ryan Harford were sent to the sin bin after daftly indulging in a second bout of fisticuffs just minutes after being warned, while Burns and Jenkins were enjoying making nuisances of themselves.

McCarthy opened the scoring after 20 minutes when Keys were pinged for offside in midfield and he doubled his account on the verge of the break, the hosts making his task easier by chatting back to referee Huw David to turn a 35-yard attempt into a 25-yard one.

Keys seemed to come out after the break with a touch more vigour and began to clear out the rucks more forcefully.

It led to them having their first real push of the game as the Ponty defence were forced to scramble the ball out of play five yards shy of their line following a neat Scott Mitchell chip.

But Keys shot themselves in the foot by attempting an ambitious throw to the back of the line-out, only to see Burns overthrow Tom Lampard.

McCarthy missed a simple chance to make it 9-0, Keys once again giving him a 10-yard gain with careless talk, before Thomas wrapped up the game. The centre took a simple pop pass and waltzed through several tackles that will not make good viewing when they are watched back on DVD.

McCarthy added the extras.

Keys have been on a superb run of late and it could be Merthyr in the cup next week that suffer the ramifications of a frustrating day at Pandy Park.

Keys: L Andrew, G Williams, C Pocock, D Dark, L Humphreys (M Johnstone 80), S Mitchell, R James (J Leadbetter 55), J Price (D Preece 58), L Burns (R Miller 58), C Gould (B Fisher 61), M Curtis, G Gladwyn (captain), R Peebles (S Rabuli 45), T Lampard, C Bridges.

Pontypridd: L Price, C Clayton, G Dacey, A Thomas, K Baller (D Davies 77), G McCarthy, A Jenkins, S Williams (S Hobbs 52), D Goodfield, R Harford, R Savage, C Dicomidis, G Lewis (S Hobbs 16-28, L Evans 28-30 and 61), R Shellard, N Strong.

Scorers: Try - A Thomas; conversion - G McCarthy; penalties - G McCarthy (2).

Referee: Huw David (Bridgend).