NEATH  29 points  NARBERTH  21 points

With four vital away games yet to come, Neath ended their home programme on  a winning note in an entertaining, if sometimes scrappy, game played on a rock-hard pitch at The Gnoll.

It was an emotional day at the old ground with a minute’s applause before kick off in memory of Neath’s fitness coach of the ‘Golden Era’ Alun Roper and it being the final home appearance of four stalwart servants : Steff Williams, Gareth Lloyd, Josh Clark and Morgan Kneath.

The All Blacks started with a bang and showed early intent in setting up the first try after just three minutes, full back Iestyn Morgan twice involved to get the touchdown in the left corner. Steff Williams’ touch-line conversion hit the woodwork so it was 5-nil

Narberth lost No.8 Roy Osborne to  a yellow card for a dangerous tackle and centre Llew Jones followed him to the touch-line for a deliberate knock on. Neath seized the opportunity and, after good work by Sean Wilcox and Rhodri Wall, Iestyn Morgan crossed for his second try to make it 10-nil.

On 25 minutes, Neath extended their lead. Moving the ball right then left, a well-judged kick and chase by flanker Gethin Tremlett took play to the line and the unflappable winger Rhodri Wall calmly picked up to score and Steff Williams converted from wide out to make it 17-nil.

Play was fast and furious, the handling and juggling of the ball almost Barbarians-like on times. Narberth stayed in the game largely on account of their line-out work which was top-class and they got their reward on the half-hour although it took a fortunate rebound to free winger Dean James for their first try which outside-half Osian Evans converted for 17-7.

Neath countered with another flowing attack finished by centre Sean Wilcox – it was their fourth and bonus point try of the half and at 22-7 Neath were looking in control.

However, in two mad minutes before half-time, Neath wasted much of their earlier good work and leaked two converted tries. Impressive continuity through the phases by the Narberth attackers paved the way for always-impressive scrum-half Lewys Gibby to touch down.

And, when Neath obligingly wandered in front of the kick-off – many do it, few get penalised – Narberth attacked again and Llew Jones got their third try, Osian Evans his third conversion and suddenly there was only a point in it.

Half-time – Neath 22 points, Narberth 21 points

The first-half had produced seven tries and, as spectators settled back into their seats after a half-time fire evacuation exercise, many had reasonable expectations of a scoring feast in the second.

But it was not to be. Neath enjoyed the bulk of the play but did not take their chances – they came frustratingly close on several occasions, twice knocking on inches short of the line; they were also penalised on it and held up over it.

Llew Jones earned himself a second yellow card for a pretty cynical intervention in the five-metre zone and Narberth soon earned themselves another which made their task all the more difficult.

Scrum-half Connor Tantum and skipper Ben Williams kept Neath bubbling but the score did not come until the 74th minute when centre Kieran Charles made a sizzling break through the middle and raced 35 metres to score at the posts for Steff Williams to convert and it was 29-21.

Standing ovations for Gareth Lloyd and Josh Clark when they were replaced indicated the Neath crowd’s appreciation of their services in the All Black jersey and Morgan Kneath got a warm reception on his emergence from the bench.

Narberth kept going until the end but, hard as they tried, they could not quite get the score which would have given them a points bonus.

Neath next move on to Cyncoed and the always-strong challenge of Cardiff Metropolitan and the big need is for the All Blacks to keep their focus as the season draws to a close. Two wins will secure third place, three might spell even better at the top of the table :-

                                                  P        W       D        L         For    Agst          Points   

Merthyr                                       19       17       0        2        939     309        87

Pontypridd                                  20       16       0        4        654     366        80

NEATH                                        20       15       1        4        604     435        76

Bargoed                                      21       13       1        7        579     456        68

NEATH – I Morgan; J Bayliss, S Wilcox, K Charles, R Wall (M Jenkins) ; S Williams, C Tantum (R Cole);  G W Lloyd (M Morgan), J Clark (K Jones), T Dabeh (B Uphill); M Davies, J Blackmore (J Barley); C Williams (D Ceredig), B Williams (capt), G Tremlett (M Kneath)

NARBERTH – A Sutton; R Harris (A Williams) , L Jones, H Nicholas, D James (H Griffiths); O Evans, L Gibby; G Rossiter (R Evans), K Hamer (T Clarke), T Kaijaks (C Davies); R Williams (S Martin) , W Blackburn; C Salmon, R Osborne(J Hamer), T Powell (capt) (S Davies)

Referee – Mr. G Newman (Abergavenny)

Images courtesy of Len Kowalski www.lensworkphotography.co.uk