Bargoed and Neath shared 10 tries – 5 each – but the All Blacks slipped to a second successive defeat at windy Bargoed Park where simple errors proved costly.

Injury-hit Neath made five starting changes for this game, Owen Erasmus getting a first start at full back and Ethan Bolche at centre alongside fellow 17 year old Aled Davies while another teenager, Amman United’s Cian Evans, came off the bench.

Neath had first use of the slope but Bargoed settled quicker and raced into a 14-point lead with two well-worked tries by right wing Morgan Powell, outside-half Josh Prosser converting both.

Neath hit back to level through two tries of their own. First, a powerful line-out drive saw the Blacks awarded a penalty try and the home team’s Powell earned himself a yellow-carded.

After 4 more penalty awards metres from the Bargoed line, the home side were lucky not to lose another man, before hooker Sion Jones pounced for Neath’s second.

Paul Short converted to level it at 14-14 and Neath, gradually imposing themselves, went ahead when excellent straight-line running in midfield saw the effervescent Sion Jones crash over for his second try of the afternoon – remarkably his 9th of the season.

Paul Short’s conversion advanced the score to 21-14 but Neath failed to gather the restart; Bargoed did – and it was 21-21 when centre Joseph Scrivens crossed for Prosser to convert.

In an unusual incident, Bargoed were awarded a penalty on half-time and decided to go for goal. The oval rebounded off the woodwork, a Bargoed boot made heavy contact with the ball which careered into Neath touch-judge Julian Beynon. A home player touched down and, in the mayhem, referee Mr. Cai Lewis did the sensible, not to say diplomatic, thing and blew for half-time.

Half-time – Bargoed 21 points, Neath 21 points

Bargoed had the slope in the second-half and wasted no time in going ahead – once again, Neath’s kick-off reception was not up to the mark and Bargoed poured onto the attack for centre Logan Yendle to score a bonus point try, Prosser converting for 21-28.

Several Neath attacks came to nothing until midway through the half when good forward play was followed by crisp passing and the young centre pairing of Aled Davies and Ethan Bolche combined for the latter to score his first try for Neath bonus point and it was 26-28.

However, Bargoed again re-gathered the kick off and replacement hooker Morgan Edwards got their fifth try and Scrivens converted for 26-35 and two Scrivens penalties stretched the home lead to 28-41.

Neath might have been down but they were not out and, in the dying minutes, the All Blacks levelled the try count with a fifth touchdown – and fifth of the season – from skipper and No. 8 Ben Williams.

After two defeats, Neath are licking their wounds and travel to Beddau in the Cup on Saturday – but there is nothing like a Cup game to get the juices flowing,  the side is good enough to win there and if nothing else, after losing to Beddau in the league, personal pride is at stake for each and every man.

BARGOED – D Williams;  A Norton, L Yendle, J Scrivens, M Powell; J Prosser (W Ford) J Leadbeater; K Bale (D Morgan), J Wright (M Edwards), J Parry (K Best); J Locke (G Edmunds), M Thomas; L Johnson (W Gregory), D Rees, R Stephens (capt)

NEATH – O Erasmus; J Bayliss, E Bolche, A Davies (C Evans), M Meaclem; P Short (I Morgan), C Tantum (J Daniel); O Watts (M Morgan), S Jones (K Jones), B Uphill (J Jones); M Davies, J Barley; J Blackmore (J Hughes), B Williams (capt), C Williams (D Ceredig)

Referee – Mr C Lewis (Ystradgynlais)

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