Cross Keys 30 Pontypool 16

CONFIDENT Cross Keys gave Pontypool a second-half tactical lesson to deservedly win this rugged Gwent derby battle.

The loss of outside-half Gavin Ashman with a shoulder injury soon after the restart could have spelled big trouble for the Pandy Park side.

But replacement Ryan James extracted every ounce of advantage from playing with the wind at his back to pin Pooler down with some fine kicking for touch and into space – as did impressive full back Leon Andrews.

Ben Watkins and his Keys pack revelled in the solid territorial platform this gave them and proceeded to outplay their opponents in a surprisingly one-sided second period.

Pontypool would have certainly fancied their chances of making it three Principality Premiership wins in a row after clawing back a 14-3 deficit to 14-13 at the interval.

Another home star performer was inside-half James Leadbeater, who scored one of his team’s three tries, all of which he converted, in addition to kicking three excellent penalty goals to end with a personal total of 20 points. Hard-working wing forward Tom Lampard and tighthead prop Craig Gould grabbed the other Keys touchdowns.

Pontypool’s only try came from left wing Dan Gravell in first-half injury time after a strong burst by centre Dan Robinson.

Outside-half Sam Mills kicked the conversion and collected a hat trick of penalty goals.

Cross Keys will also be pleased by the quality attacks that led to two of their tries. A smart midfield break by Ashman wrong-footed the visitors’ defence and Lampard was up in support to score the 18th-minute try at the posts.

Then Leadbeater followed suit with an equally effective 30-metre solo run to snap up his try six minutes later.

As expected, no quarter was given in any phase of this often scrappy but entertaining encounter and tempers boiled over on a couple of occasions.

In fact, referee Phil Connett (Hafodrynys) sent no fewer than six players to the sin bin – Ashman, lock Watkins, hooker Lloyd Burns and lock Ashley Sweet from the Keys ranks, and Pontypool flanker Rhys Bowen and lock Daryl Cox.

That meant that Keys were reduced to 13 men towards the end of the first half and Pooler suffered the same fate in the early stages of the second half.

But Keys restored much of their confidence and pride with their workmanlike display after the interval and they thoroughly deserved to record only their second win of the season, having pipped Swansea 22-21 at Pandy Park on 13 September.

Cross Keys team manager Mark Prangell commented after the match: “We were under a lot of pressure before this game and there was a lot of soul-searching during the week.

“We really did the business in the second half and the boys showed us what they can do.

“We are all very pleased with the win but this is only one game and we need to start again as we prepare for our next match.”(Bedwas away next Saturday.) Pontypool head coach Gareth Lintern said: “At half-time we thought we were in control of the game and we told the players what they needed to do in the second half – more of the same, control the ball and get it away from the breakdown area.

“For some reason they didn’t do it and we paid the price.

“Cross Keys were better than us at the breakdown, won a few penalties and kept the scoreboard ticking over.

“The Premier division is a tough learning curve and we must learn from this failure.”

Cross Keys: L Andrews; N Trowbridge, G Ferguson (C Pocock 57), S Regan, M Johnstone; G Ashman (R.James 45), J Leadbeater; D Preece (J Price 62), L Burns (A James 66), C Gould, B Watkins, (capt), A Sweet (M Curtis 80+6), C Bridges, T Lampard (R Nash 71), J Malpas (G Gladwyn 51).

Tries: T Lampard (18mins), J Leadbeater (24 mins) and C Gould (80+3 mins); pens: J Leadbeater (43, 54 and 69 mins); cons: J Leadbeater (3).

Pontypool: N Preece (C Rees 54); W Kershaw-Naylor, D Robinson, D Phillips, D Gravell (P Price 64); S Mills, T Edwards; J Jeune, L Jones (capt), (M Dwyer 76), S Maguire (M Lewis 40), D Cox (S Pailor 69), K Maiden, R Bowen, C Trayhern and A Brake (N Coughlin 66).

Try: D Gravell (40+3 mins); pens: S Mills (17, 28 and 51 mins); con: S Mills. Referee: Phil Connett (Hafodrynys).