Principality Premiership

Aberavon 19 Llandovery 18

Llandovery’s up and down season continued in bizarre fashion at the Talbot Athletic Ground where they lost to the Wizards by the narrowest possible margin, writes Tom Hughes

After conceding territory and possession, the Drovers still had the chance of victory in injury time when they forced a penalty just 25 metres out almost in front of the posts.

To the amazement of everyone in the ground and to the consternation of his team-mates replacement fly-half Ian Brooks took a quick tap penalty which came to nothing.

Even then the drama was not over as Brooks had the chance to put over a last kick of the game penalty only to fail from 40 metres.

Ill-discipline and flawed goal-kicking have been problem areas all season and they again blighted the Llandovery performance.

Lock Richard Catchpole in the first half and No 8 Richard Brookes in the second were yellow carded by referee Robert Price with the Brooks dismissal crucial.

The Drovers led 18-16 at that juncture but Aberavon took the lead four minutes from time against the 14-man visitors before the Brooks howlers settled the issue.

Fly-half James Garland who had a sound all round game also hit the post with a penalty and missed a conversion and the flabbergasted Drovers had to be satisfied with a losing bonus-point.

They stay in eighth position on 23 points after this their seventh defeat in 12 matches and are losing contact with seventh-placed Llanelli who are on 30 points.

Of even more concern is that they are only seven points away from the bottom of the table which is occupied by Bridgend

A win over Aberavon looked a distinct possibility at the start of Saturday’s game when the Drovers started with a real bang.

Garland worked in wing Richard Williams for a 5th minute try converted by the fly-half who added a penalty for a 10-0 lead.

Two penalties from fly-half Matthew Jarvis and another from Garland left it at 13-6 at half-time but the Aberavon pack dominated play after the break.

The home backs lacked guile but the Drovers defence at last yielded when centre Matthew Jenkins finished of the driving play of his forwards with a try converted by replacement Cameron Clement.

The quicker Llandovery backs were a real threat however and scrum-half Lee Rees zipped through to make it 18-13 but Aberavon forward pressure and two Clement penalties sneaked the Wizards ahead for the first time before the dramas of the dying minutes.