SSE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

BARGOED 43 LLANHARAN 13  (HT22-13)

The result was predictable with bottom placed Llanharan taking on premiership hopefuls Bargoed.

Yet, once again the Dairymen will take great heart from their general endeavour and spirit, and the closeness of the first half will give encouragement to those charged  with the task of reviving a great club that has suddenly and unexpectedly hit on hard times.

It was just 22-13 to Bargoed at the turn around, the away team having plenty of the game, albeit with the dreadful conditions in their favour.

Their well-deserved try came from prop Rhys Taylor who finished off a lineout drive. Harrison Evans converted and put over two penalties.

And they could rightly argue that two of Bargoed’s three tries should have been pulled up for  earlier offences, while the third came right on half time.

Predictably, Bargoed made the most of the elements after the restart, and although Huw Thomas’s men gave their all, they ran out comfortable winners.

With RGC 1404 surprisingly losing at Tata Steel, the win crucially pushed Bargoed back into the top four and above the North Walians.

Former Youth captain Chris Williams returned on permit from Cardiff and gave an accomplished display for the away team at full back, while skipper Thomas and his fellow back row men Tom Wilson and Richard Lawrence worked tirelessly throughout.

Another colossal challenge faces Llanharan on Saturday when they meet another premiership challenger, Merthyr, at the Dairyfield.

Llan try – Rhys Taylor; con and pens 2 – Harrison Evans

TEAM:

15 CHRIS WILLIAMS

14 JOSH JONES

13 LEE EDGECOMBE

12 LIAM UNION

11 GAVIN PARSONS

10 HARRISON EVANS

9 CRAIG BURTON

1 RHYS TAYLOR

2 SAM LLEWELLYN

3 TOM EVANS

4 KIERAN MARTIN

5 OWAIN HOWE

6 RICHARD LAWRENCE

7 TOM WILSON

8 HUW THOMAS (CAPT)

REPLACEMENTS USED

TOM HARRIS

TOM BUCKLE