REPORTS

Rusty Tillery misfire as tenacious Talywain edge home

the Christmas honours

In a tight, forward orientated encounter at The Park, which could have gone either way, the tenacious visitors won by the narrowest of margins courtesy of a second half converted penalty try.

The home side can rightly point to their five-week Christmas and weather enforced lay-off which clearly left them rusty. But there were no real complaints about the result with the visitors playing the sticky surface better, their driving play up front proving the difference after the break.

Tillery started brightly and nearly pierced the visitors’ defensive line on several occasions. But they emerged with only a Liam Crandon penalty for their efforts and a three-nil lead after fifteen minutes.

Talywain eventually started to get more of a foothold in Tillery territory and they edged in front when the hosts were caught napping by a tapped penalty, the visitors’ open-side sneaking over for an unconverted try.

Tillery should have retaken the lead as a tremendous forward drive seemed to have put Craig Meredith over for a try. But the referee was unsighted and eventually the Green & Whites regained their earlier advantage as Crandon slotted over a simple second penalty.

H-T: 6 - 5

In the reverse of the game’s opening, it was the visitors who began the second period the better without really creating anything before eventually Tillery started to impose themselves more. But the home side’s Achilles Heel was its misfiring line-out, which denied them a platform in that phase, and they were unable to gain any territorial advantage despite the slope.

The crucial moment of the game came mid-way through the half. As they had shown at Emlyn Park in the game between the sides back in September, the Talywain pack’s well-drilled rolling maul is a powerful weapon. Two drives through it set them up on the home line and when they attempted a third, the official awarded a penalty try which was converted.

Tillery’s response was immediate from the restart as Jack Summers picked up loose ball and raced over from 25 metres for a try that Liam Crandon narrowly failed to convert from wide out.

With the score at 11-12, it was anyone’s game. Tillery though failed to really get a grip on possession as the visitors pack were content to keep the ball tight to see out the narrowest of victories.

Tillery website M-O-M: Jack Summers

How Tillery lined up…

January 24 2015

Abertillery (6) 11 Talywain (3) 12

Division 2 East
FIXTURES

December 20 2014

Results

Pill Harriers_home Talywain_away Brynmawr_home Tredegar_away Croesyceiliog_away Caerphilly_home Abergavenny_away Abertysswg_home