Llandovery 9 Ebbw Vale 15

EBBW Vale fought hard to record an outstanding win against Llandovery at Church Bank.

Devoid of possession and playing most of the game in their own half, the Steelmen defended magnificently to record their fourth win in seven league games.

Winning coach Matthew McCarthy sympathised with the luckless Drovers while also praising his side’s defence.

He said: “We are delighted with the hardest of hard fought wins. Llandovery threw everything at us.

“We had to soak up some tremendous pressure on our line in the second half but we refused to buckle in the heat of battle.

“Llandovery is a very tough place to come and win at and you have to be very focussed to resist what you know will be a testing time up front.”

Ebbw Vale won through massive, at times heroic commitment in defence and the ability to make the most of a handful of chances against a Llandovery side desperate for their first win of the season.

The Steelmen trailed 9-0 to three penalties by Llandovery’s new fly-half Dan Ettridge before left wing James Lewis – under the approving eye of father Steve – showed his class with a slashing break and swerve to get a try against the run of play.

Centre Aaron Bramwell made it 9-8 soon after the break with a well-taken penalty before Vale delivered what turned out to be the killer punch.

A long miss-out pass from home number eight Ioan Cunningham was intercepted by replacement fly-half David Langdon, who ran in under the posts from 50 yards.

Bramwell adding the easy conversion Llandovery kept pounding away with a series of close range attacks, only to be repelled by some ferocious Vale tackling.

The back row of Jamie Ringer, James Thomas and Rhys Jenkins plus locks Jon Griffiths and the wily Gavin Lucas soaked up the relentless frontal assault whilst centres Kristian Owen and Bramwell sewed up the midfield when Llandovery tried other avenues of attack.

The win keeps the Steelmen in the top six of the Premiership and in good heart to take on defending champions Neath at Eugene Cross Park this coming Saturday.

Llandovery: D Rogers; I Evans, S Soul (J Taffetsauffer 68), R Williams, O Rowlands; D Ettridge, R Walters (capt) (T James 68); P Edwards, E Phillips (J Littlehales h/t), A Jones ( E Howells 68), K Davies, R McCusker (M Harbut 68), I Cunningham, A Llewellyn (L Phillips 22), G Williams. Pens: D Ettridge (3) Ebbw Vale: A McLaughlan; I Coombes (S Powell 73), K Owen (capt), A Bramwell, J Lewis; A Williams (D Langdon 54), L Lane (I Evans 54); A Lott (G Jones 76), R Wilkes (C Thomas h/t), M Jones (N Eaves 76), G Lucas, J Griffiths, R Jenkins (G Jones 55-65), J Thomas, J Ringer (S Pengelly 74) Tries: J Lewis, D Langdon Con: A Bramwell Pen: A Bramwell Referee: Mike Bethell (Treherbert) Man of the match: James Thomas