Fixture

A game of rugby at last, the first since the 1st December and only the second since the end of October, away to local rivals Carmarthen Athletic at Athletic Park with Saints looking to avenge their 22 points defeat at home earlier in the season.

There was nothing in it in the early exchanges although the home side had the first chance soon into the game with a missed penalty and five minutes later a charged down clearance kick was adjudged to be reached by a Saints hand before an outstretched Athletic finger could claim the try.

 With the interval approaching and neither side achieving a breakthrough in the deadlock, although the home side undoubtedly looked more likely to do so with both territory and possession heavily in their favour, a penalty was awarded to the visitors which was slotted over by outside centre Liam Price to nudge Saints three points ahead at the break.

The restart saw very little change in the pattern of play with the visitors defending heroically and a stalemate looking the most likely outcome until a spark of brilliance from right wing Will Davies produced the ‘game changing’ moment when an interception followed by a lightening turn of speed left defenders struggling  in his wake, allowing the vital score in such a tight game. The conversion was missed but five minutes later James Davies added an extra three points from a penalty award with an excellent kick from some distance and a difficult angle to put the visitors eleven points ahead.      

 With the clock ticking down Athletic threw everything at the visitors and the last twenty minutes were a real test of their guts and determination and despite one breach to the defence with a try from full back Robbie Jones, with just a few minutes remaining and a constant battering in the final stages with a couple of hotly disputed ‘held up’ tries, they gallantly held fast to record a vital and well deserved victory against a very good Athletic side who could consider themselves slightly hard done by to have to settle for just a losing bonus point.