CROSS Keys backs coach Dai Manley felt an entertaining clash descended into a farce in the second half at Eugene Cross Park.

Five tries were scored in an entertaining first half but Simon Hunt's match-winner was the only time the line was crossed after the break.

"It had the makings of a really good game and both teams had intent to play," said Manley.

"There were cracking tries but the game disintegrated in the second half and why that happened we will leave to people's judgement.

"It became a mess and for the game to go from two teams wanting to play to how it turned out in the last 15 minutes was a shame.

"At half-time I thought we were on to a real cracker but it didn't develop that way.

"We started the second half well but didn't quite make it over the line and paid the price.

"We knocked the ball on three times in scoring opportunities, they had most of the game and we don't argue that Ebbw Vale deserved to win the game, but we were also very wasteful."

Manley said Keys will have a look at the DVD of the game in a bid to clear Ashley Sweet's name following his second-half red card.

"If there was a stamp in there then the player needs to be punished, but the right player," he said.

"We have no problems with a player who stamps to the head getting a red card, but we don't believe Ashley has done anything wrong."

Ebbw Vale head coach Pat Horgan was a happier man but admitted there was plenty to work on ahead of Friday's clash with Swansea.

"We are happy with the bonus-point win," he said. "We perhaps should have scored some more tries at the end but we fell out of our structure as the game became scrappy.

"I was disappointed that we got a yellow card early on in the second half because we didn't give away any penalties in the first half and we then got a yellow for an offence in the contact area.

"But it was a good win and it was nice to bring on two 17-year-olds (James Thomas and Rhys Jenkins) and an 18-year-old (prop Dan Watchurst).

"We worked hard, it has been difficult for these boys. We don't have a great deal to play for, it's just a pity that some of those players out there weren't available for the cup game in Aberavon or we could have been playing a semi-final today."

l Ebbw Vale Supporters Club gave out their annual awards after the game.

Most promising player was prop Anthony Lott, clubman was half-back Bryan Shelbourne and player of the year went to full-back Andrew McLaughlan, who narrowly beat Shelbourne and skipper John Bowd.