Borderers recover to win late on (From Western Telegraph)

Borderers recover to win late on

Whitland 28 Treorchy 20

Whitland notched their sixth win in 11 league outings as they accounted for basement battlers Treorchy Rhondda at Parc Llwyn Ty Gwyn - although The Borderers were perhaps clearly feeling the side-effects of their epic midweek success at Blackwood because after a bright start where they scored 17 points in 22 minutes they lost their way and allowed The Zebras back into contention.

Indeed, it seemed as if the visitors would snatch a draw as they scored a converted try in the closing moments to make the score 20-apiece, only for Whitland to regroup and finish with a penalty and last-ditch try that saw them home in a tense finale.

Yet a close finish seemed most unlikely as The Borderers dominated early events, forwards Steve Gerrard, Fakataha Mollatika, Derek Thomas and Dai Jones all busy alongside pocket-battleship prop Romeo Colella, with Anthony Jakeman and Colella held up in a superb opening attack before justice was done at the ensuing scrum as Jakeman did well to support a drive and crash over the line.

Whitland scored an even better try from the kick off as scrum half Andrew Jenkins initiated a move where he featured twice down the stand touchline in cahoots with Wayne Lewis, Daniel and Steve Griffiths before flanker Randal Williams got up in support to take Jenkins' scoring pass. Daniel Griffiths was again off target with the conversion but made amends when he converted a try by Derek Thomas from a scrum five after Mollatika had crossed but the referee was unsighted.

At 17-0 it seemed a big win was on the cards but The Borderers allowed Treorchy back into contention, The Zebras scoring from their first real attack as skipper David Cambourne popped up from his left wing berth to score on the right after a quick tap penalty by scrum half Gareth Jenkins. Matthew Hutchings slotted the conversion and added a drop goal and penalty before the break to make the score 17-13 in the home side's favour.

Whitland enjoyed the lion's share of possession in the third quarter but took wrong options so that try-scoring chances went abegging when players tried to go it alone instead of spreading play wide and letting support players utilise the space. All they had to show for their efforts was a Daniel Griffiths' penalty and the warning signs were there as Treorchy kept plugging away.

And with time running out The Zebras grabbed a try when a break by Mark Sheppard allowed No 8 Jamie Summons to power over in the left corner and Hutchings superbly converted to make it 20-all and with time running out.

But there was enough time for Whitland to grab another eight points as Daniel Griffiths kept his composure to land a penalty and in the last attack of the game replacement winger Steve Hartland sliced through on the left. 'Hartie' slipped with the line in his sights but still had the presence of mind to make the ball available and centre Daniel Rogers was on hand to score a try that sealed another win for The Borderers and a healthy mid-table place as they travel to Cardiff on Saturday to take on another basement club in Rumney.

The Whitland match sponsors were Llewelyn Davies and Co, Chartered Accountants, Whitland, Narberth, Tenby and Pembroke Dock. The team sponsors were Lewis Lewis and Co, Solicitors, St Clears, Tenby and Carmarthen. The match balls were sponsored by Jan Thomas and Liz Griffin; Raymond Jones; Countrywide Farmers; R Mounsey of Carmarthen; Meirion Rees.