NEW DOCK STARS 11  -  BETWS 15 

Betws kept their hopes of promotion alive when they displaced third placed New Dock Stars with a gutsy performance after the home team had dominated lineout possession in this Division 5 South West fixture. The opening exchanges saw contrasting styles with NDS spreading the ball along their back division and the visitors taking the direct route through their forwards.

It was Betws who eventually got the breakthrough when their superior scrum power enabled centre Gary Davies to break blind and put wing Mark Thomas clear to power over for the opening try of the match after fifteen minutes. New Dock responded with a penalty from scrum-half Wayne Howells and a drop goal by outside half Vaughan Thomas put the homesters ahead after half an hour’s play.

When Betws did win lineout ball, they made good use of it with scrum half Dylan Rees breaking to put full-back Mathew Rees clear for a try from the half way. No 8 Dan Howells then charged through to put outside half Phil Saunders clear following another assist from Iestyn Williams. These clinical finishes enabled Betws to go in 15-6 ahead at half time.

The visitors had a number of chances to seal the game and obtain a vital bonus point in the second half but it was the home team that applied pressure because of their superior line out. The determined Betws defence could not be breached for much of the second half despite the flow of lineout possession obtained by the home team, but eventually the pressure proved too much when wing Roger Owen scored a try for the home team.

The Betws defence remained solid for the remainder of the game with wing forward Emyr Timothy named as man of the match.

This coming Saturday sees Betws entertaining Alltwen, the current league leaders, who were victorious by one point in the  corresponding opening match of the season.