Williams wins it for battling Blues (From Western Telegraph)

Williams wins it for battling Blues

Tumble 5 Haverfordwest 12

Four penalties by outside half Steve Williams gave Haverfordwest a morale-boosting first-day win over Tumble but this was an all-round display which earned The Blues the league points since Tumble is never an easy place to secure success.

Coach Gary Price must have been pleased with the way that his team battled hard throughout, especially in the opening session when they played into the breeze and were only 5-3 down at the turn-around as No 8 Steve Grange gave Tumble a fifth minute lead with an unconverted try and Williams landed his first penalty shortly afterwards.

For the rest of the half the visitors spun a cordon around their 22 as Matthew Lewis did well in the lineouts, ably assisted by flanker Jamie Dalton at the back of the line.

The front row anchored the scrum well and were eager for work in the close exchanges alongside old timer Karl Potter, while Dalton, Lewis Wood and new skipper Dafydd Bowen all covered well from their back row berths.

With the breeze behind them, Haverfordwest halves Matthew Kelly and Steve Williams called the shots in the third quarter and Williams notched penalties in the seventh, 11th and 22nd minutes to give the Blues a seven-point lead.

These set-backs stung Tumble into a concerted effort in the closing stages and it took excellent defence by the Blues to keep them out.

Andrew Thicker utilised his experience to marshall the defence from his centre spot and there was good cover provided by Graham Badham, John Whitticombe, Jamie Barnes and Matthew Davies - and the Blues now entertain Gowerton on Saturday, hoping to build on this positive start.

Haverfordwest: John Whitticombe: Paul Mason (Jamie Barnes); Andrew Thicker; Matthew Davies; Ceri Jones (Graham Badham): Steve Williams; Matthew Kelly: Justin Mountstephens; Gareth Green (Tim Parry); Adam Martin: Matthew Lewis; Karl Potter: Dafydd Bowen; Jamie Dalton; Lewis Wood.