Division One West

Amman United 22 Llangennech 27

Although they still look for their first win, Amman will be mightily encouraged by this performance against a very good and well-drilled Llangennech side beaten.

Amman’s second half performance particularly was encouraging after a sticky startin what proved a classic “game of two halves”.

The visitors, a big unit all round, had the best of the early skirmishes, and some early momentum created an opening try as a flanker’s break put Rhys Davies in for a corner try.

Chris Moore added the conversion and Amman were under the cosh.

Llan grabbed a second try inside twelve minutes as centre Gareth Davies broke though to touch down.

Outside-half Adrian Thomas got the Amman rolling with a fine 45-metre penalty on 25 minutes, and with a bit more possession, an excellent run from flanker Alun Lewis seemed to put in wing Jonny Bevan, but he failed to gather properly.

The visitors let Amman off the hook, missing two gilt-edged try-scoring openings before half-time when seemingly easy passes went to ground.

A Moore penalty stretched the lead to 17-3, and Amman then refused to go for the sticks with a kickable penalty, instead kicking to touch, which could have reduced the advantage before half-time, but nothing coming of the resulting lineout.

Whatever was said by returning Tony Williams and his fellow coaches at the break certainly had the desired effect as Amman came out for the second half with all guns blazing and looking a different side.

Scrum-half Joel Foster’s sniping runs got them onto the front foot while forwards Matthew Wrigley, Sean Mangan and Steff Charles ball-carried powerfully through the phases.

After some top build-up play from the front-eight, Amman camped on the Llan try-line and Liam Smith, playing on permit from Pontyberem, forced his way over for the try. Thomas converted.

United, with their tails up, and playing with renewed confidence, created a lightning counter and a neat chip ahead saw wing Dean Williams win the race against his defender to get the narrow final touchdown.

Llangennech, surprisingly, were creaking under the onslaught, and were hit again by the Amman’s swift attacking when Wrigley’s final pass put in Craig Ratcliffe for a third try and the lead for the first time.

But, to their credit, the visitors soaked the pressure and hit back with a counter-attack of their own as the winger rounded Amman forward Gavin Elliott, who failed to prevent the try.

An excellent touchline conversion from Moore regained the lead.

Amman still had chances to win, but Thomas saw two kickable penalties go astray.

A long-range late penalty put the visitors five points up, but Amman finished the game on the Llan line, and it took a momentous defensive effort to keep the hosts at bay as man of the match Foster and co tried to grab the elusive score.

Llangennech’s relief at the final whistle was all too evident.