Cross Keys 16 Cardiff 17

CROSS Keys paid the price for a lack of discipline as Cardiff took the honours 17-16 in a tight contest at Pandy Park.

The Keys saw three players yellow-carded for infringing at the breakdown in the second half and, despite a fierce effort at the death, saw victory elude them.

Referee Jonathan Mason will be wishing that Simon Harris, the man originally scheduled to take charge, had been the man in the middle, such was the abuse he got.

But Keys had their chances to win it and it was defeat that was particularly harsh on openside flanker Rob Nash, who was simply magnificent as he has been all season long.

Keys made a nightmare start and their line was crossed after just 44 seconds thanks to a howler by full-back Gareth David.

Cardiff wing Jimmy Norris opted to chip over the top after being released down the left and the covering Keys number 15 swivelled to kick clear after carrying the ball into his deadball area.

But rather than booting it into the river he only succeeded in picking out the visitors’ number eight Dan Godfrey, who gathered and flopped over the line.

Fly-half Gareth Davies, the last-gasp hero in the 19-17 win over Newport last week, added the extras but David reduced the deficit with a seventh-minute penalty.

There was a strange end-of-term feel to the game with Keys safe from the drop.

The error count was high but there was nothing wrong in the skill level when Keys went in front on 20 minutes.

A grubber kick inside the 22 from scrum-half James Leadbeater was gathered by wing Marcus Johnstone, who put centre Carl Pocock over the line with a neat sleight of hand.

David converted and then added a penalty on the half hour and the score stayed at 13-7 at the break.

The visitors had been a tad cocky in the first half, kicking in-range penalties to the corner in search of tries and it was a tactic they stuck to after the break.

The Blue and Blacks applied the pressure in the Keys 22 but the hosts stood firm with a determined defensive display, skipper Lloyd Burns and Nash to the fore.

Keys were starved of possession and were braced for another spell under the pump when lock Ben Watkins was yellow-carded for killing the ball, Davies knocking over the three points after finally having a shot at goal.

A lack of discipline was killing the Keys, gifting prime attacking position and possession to the visitors.

It got worse when another daft penalty saw them reduced to 13 men when Jevon Groves charged into a ruck from the side and, though Watkins returned, they stayed down to 13 when flanker Tom Lampard was binned at the breakdown.

Cardiff put the squeeze on at the scrum and penalty after penalty was awarded before referee Jon Mason awarded a penalty try, though it could be argued that it wasn’t an obvious try-scoring opportunity given that it was 10 metres out.

However, Keys dug deep and David made it 17-16 with a 40-metre penalty on 72 minutes and then rapid Nash went on a break deep into enemy territory and it would have been a try were it a back in support rather than prop Richard Cornock.

They went on a frantic late surge in a bid to snatch back the lead but it was too much to ask.

Cross Keys scorers: try - C Pocock; conversion - G David; penalties - G David (2) Cardiff scorers: tries - D Godfrey, penalty; conversions - G Davies (2); penalty - G Davies.

Argus star man: Rob Nash