Ponty Youth maintain winning momentum
Pontypridd Youth were back in action on Wednesday night 11th April as they hosted Cardiff University in a key Blues A League tie. The game was the University’s home fixture but due to a waterlogged pitch at Llanrumney was moved at short notice to Sardis Road.
After a tough top of the table away clash against Rumney Youth on the previous Saturday this game was going to pose a daunting physical and mental challenge for Pontypridd.
Both teams set their stall out early playing at pace, to retain possession and force mismatches and overlaps out wide. The game was end to end with both defences tested but it was the visitors who got on the board first with a penalty for an infringement at the breakdown. Ponty replied following a concerted period of pressure with a close range try following a collective forward drive, the score converted by Bailey Roberts.
Cardiff Uni were determined to get back into contention and from the restart forced an error and following a well worked line-out and quick ball into midfield went over for a converted try to edge back into the lead. It was towards the end of the half that Ponty levelled the scores with an easy penalty in front of the posts, setting an interval score-line of 10pts apiece.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first with both teams aiming to play a high tempo game. It was Ponty who came out on top in the early exchanges and were rewarded with a try scored by Ioan Evans and converted by Roberts. Five minutes later from an error by the University defence, Ioan Evans picked up a loose ball to cross for his second try which was again converted. As both teams tired space opened up and the home side took the initiative through some slick passing, opening up the Uni defence with Bailey Roberts scoring a try out wide. The students were however not to be out done and scored in the corner to narrow the deficit.
The game in its final exchanges became more open as the Uni tried to press for another score but an intercepted pass allowing Ponty’s pacey winger Shaun Webber to run fifty metres to the try line, the conversion added to round off an impressive and important home win by 36pts to 15.
