Division 3 West
Cardigan 29 Tregaron 13
Cardigan completed the double over their Ceredigion rivals Tregaron to keep their promotion campaign on course but they were forced to dog it out against a very committed and resilient visiting team.
There was further joy for the Cardi’s after the game when news filtered through that promotion rivals Pembroke had been beaten at home by arch rivals Pembroke Dock and it could have been even better had Laugharne not been edged out by a single point at St Clears.
The Saints are another of the teams at the top with an eye on a place in Division 2 but they managed to scrape home with a conversion from full back Geraint Jones saving the day.
This all Ceredigion encounter was the first ever league match between the two teams at the King George field and although Cardigan always looked the likely winners Tregaron were camped on the hosts line for long periods and crossed for a well worked try through tight head prop Dorian Pugh.
It was Cardigan though who scored first when scrum half Luke Rogers slotted over a penalty and a try soon followed when second row Rob Connolly crossed for the second week in succession after good work from his captain Llyr Griffiths whose quick hands put Connolly over for an easy try.
Tregaron replied when outside half Gwion Phillips sent over a long range penalty that was sweetly struck but he and his side were under great pressure for most of the half with the main Cardigan ball carriers in back rower Colin Davies, skipper Griffiths, Connolly and centre Emyr Griffiths punching holes in the Tregaron defence and it came as no surprise when full back Alun Jenkins combined with wing Llyr Jones to score a cracker of a try which was converted by Rogers.
Cardigan were then reduced to fourteen men when outside half Iestyn Crompton was yellow carded for obstruction and from the resulting penalty Phillips once again stroked the ball nonchalantly through the sticks with his left foot but Cardigan had the final word of the half when centre Harries ran in for a try after some slick handling by the home team to round the half with the score at 22-6 in favour of the hosts following the conversion by Rogers.
Tregaron stand off Phillips was sent to the bin in the opening minutes of the second half and the hosts were fortunate that two or three others were not sent down the same path as they did their best to slow the ball down. However they made the most of the leniency shown by referee Tom Simms and they crossed for an excellent try when powerful prop Pugh crossed under the posts and Phillips converted. Home winger Dafydd Watkins was yellow carded for a high tackle to reduce the home ranks to fourteen once again but his team continued to take the game to Tregaron.
The Cardi’s pushed hard for the all important fourth try and bonus point and this duly arrived when centre Sion Hughes took the ball up at pace and beat his marker to run in unopposed and this was converted by Rogers to seal a comfortable win in the end.
This was a battling performance by Tregaron who were well led by skipper and full back Huw Bonner, but Cardigan were just too powerful across the field and well worth their victory.
This win leaves Cardigan in third place four points behind leaders Milford Haven but Colin Horscroft and his men have a game in hand and it is a home one against Pembroke Docks Quins which was postponed earlier in the season.
A bonus point win against the Dock would have seen Cardigan top the division at Christmas but the Quins could not raise a team on that October afternoon.
However it is the team that is top of the charts in April that matters most and Cardigan remain on course for promotion and they look the best all round team in the division but this title race promises to have a few more twists and turns before the season is over.
