Cardiff 23

Cross Keys 19

CROSS Keys may have slipped to defeat at Cardiff but they gave their big-spending hosts one heck of a scare with a whole-hearted performance at the Arms Park.

Keys travelled home with a losing bonus point but it could have so easily been all five after they stunned the hosts to lead 19-10 early in the second half.

When Gareth Williams crossed for Keys' third try there were some furrowed brows among the home faithful but their side came firing back to grab a win that means they leapfrog Ebbw Vale into second place in the Premiership table.

But they were pushed all the way by a dogged Keys outfit, and a makeshift one at that. Glance along the back line and you saw James Leadbetter, Shane Regan and the Williams brothers, Gareth and Owen - all incredibly inexperienced but who all produced terrific performances.

If it was the youthful faces that shone in the backs then it was the usual suspects that battled away up front. Skipper Ben Watkins was immense in the second row, hooker Lloyd Burns was mobile around the park and worked tirelessly in defence while flanker Geraint Gladwyn will be nursing some bruises after putting his body on the line at the breakdown.

And it was the Keys pack that pushed their hosts into frantic defence in the closing stages, pushing them to the limit from close-range scrums and line-outs - a test that the Blue and Blacks stood up to...just.

Keys backs coach Dai Manley said: "It was a gutsy performance, we couldn't have asked for any more. The boys, as they always do, emptied the tank.

"If we could have got another score after Gareth went over then we could have seen the game through but instead we gave away a couple of soft penalties and fair play to Cardiff they took their chances."

It was Keys who struck first and it was Owen Williams, on permit from Blackwood, who finished off a move started by his brother on three minutes.

Gareth hacked on after a mix-up in the Cardiff midfield and, after losing his footing on the awful Arms Park surface that had more sand on it than a five-a-side pitch on the Copacabana, provided quick ball that was spun out to Watkins who put his young winger in the clear.

Ex-Cardiff man Leon Andrews was successful with a tough conversion to build a seven-point lead but that was soon cancelled out after Nathan Rees chipped and gathered to cross, Craig Evans adding the extras.

Evans had to wait until the 33rd minute to inch the hosts into the lead with a penalty but that only stung Keys into action and they went into the break 12-10 up after Burns barged over from close range with the last play of the half.

When Gareth Williams made the most of a turnover to cross early after the break it seemed as though a shock bonus point win could be on the cards.

But to Cardiff's credit they dug deep and Evans turned match-winner after former Newport Gwent Dragon Gareth Chapman, who was representing Keys earlier in the season, went over in the corner on 53 minutes.

The fly-half converted then punished a pair of Keys infringements to boot his side to the points.

Cardiff: R Davies (G Davies 47), N Rees, G Chapman, D Ryan, R Howells (T Davies 72) , C Evans, O Ruttley (G Holloway 77), R Cornock (G Gunter 40), R James (R Johnston 48), S Roberts (D Fenton 76), J Down, C Stamatakis, G Lucas (captain), A Whitney, A Powell (D McShane 60).

Scorers: tries - N Rees, G Chapman; conversions - C Evans (2); penalties - C Evans (3).

Cross Keys: L Andrews, G Williams, S Regan, D Dark (S Mitchell 75), O Williams, R James, J Leadbetter, J Price (D Preece 64), L Burns, C Gould (B Fisher 54), A Sweet (M Curtis 60, C Bridges 80), B Watkins (captain), G Gladwyn, T Lampard, J Malpas.

Scorers: tries - O Williams, L Burns, G Williams; conversions - L Andrews (2).

Referee: Hugh Watkins (Cadoxton)