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Dowlais 17 Beddau 43

A very competitive Dowlais hosted Beddau in a Mid District Cup First Round tie that will have been of great value to the coaches on either side.  The Dowlais pack, on the move, provided a beefy and well co-ordinated platform for the launch of sharp and subtle offloads releasing runners to keep Beddau`s defence busy.  In turn, Beddau were able to run the rule over some fringe players while senior team regulars were also on board to provide a strong base.

An early penalty was kicked by Hywel Chatham but Dowlais levelled matters with an answering penalty.  The home side were largely on the offensive in the early stages but with Jack Secher and Hywel Chatham forming a smooth link at half back Beddau were relatively comfortable and when Chatham spotted some space his well judged kick gave Gareth Hopkins a race to the line which the speedster won comfortably.  Hywel Chatham converted to give Beddau a 10-3 lead.

Injuries have largely been responsible for Cody Baker`s disrupted season but now, at full back, he was able to demonstrate a wide range of skills and he and Hywel Chatham exchanged passes and with Kieran Gay providing the final link scrum half Jack Secher popped up for a try.  Chatham converted and it was 17-3.  Some more silky movement from Cody Baker, again in concert with Hywel Chatham looked to have freed James Davies but the wing unselfishly, made a pass that put Tomos Preece in with Hywel Chatham again on target.

All the while an unfazed Dowlais were driving forward in search of their own points but they had to swallow some further medicine when Secher and Chatham again opened a gap which Kieran Gay exploited before James Davies raced through on a swerving run to the line with Chatham taking it to an unlikely 31-3.

Dowlais then spent a lengthy period in possession with Beddau being stretched to hold out a succession of line threatening drives.  Finally referee Dai Cambourne had seen enough and an offence at the line prompted the award of a penalty try which took the sides to the interval at 31-10.

Early in the second period Cody Baker went on a long and elusive run which evaded defenders and finished with a splendid try which asked a little more of Hywel Chatham but the captain for the night stroked a good conversion to keep his 100% record from the tee.

Dowlais then struck when a period of pressure paid off with a rare gap in Beddau`s defence being fully exploited for a well-deserved score and conversion.  The Beddau response was immediate with James Davies, with the aid of his kick ahead, launching and completing a 70 metre dash along the touchline.  Callum Wheeler had defied expectation by making an early return from a shoulder injury to replace Hywel Chatham but his kick went across the face of the posts.

Before the end Beddau had lost locks Josh Thomas and Rhys Owens with hooker Cory Tarrant and prop Callum Degenhardt holding the fort.  A game that had begun in drizzle and fog ended with a worrying looking injury to a Dowlais forward persuading Mr Cambourne to bring proceedings to a close with Beddau happily claiming the spoils but with Dowlais too having taken a lot from the game.