This was not a game for the purists but a forward dominated battle made for an absorbing first half with Bargoed on top in the set piece but eventually being punished for not taking the opportunities that came their way. Bedwas took a 6-0 lead with two penalties from the boot of outside half Lewis Evans in the first fifteen minutes. The home side was penalised three times at the scrum as the Bulls’ pack piled on the pressure and from the third such penalty Ian Smerdon put the ball into touch ten metres from the Bedwas line. A clean catch and drive saw the pack steamroller their way over the line with Bargoed lock Matthew Thomas claiming the score which went unconverted to make it 6-5 after 23 minutes.
The scores remained that way as the clock moved towards half time, however, referee Elgan Williams inexplicably found twelve minutes to add on to the end of the half. With both sets of supporters thinking he’d left his watch in the changing room, Bargoed were penalised at scrum on the half way. Evans kicked to touch and Bedwas claimed the throw and drove over for their first try to take the score to 11-5 at the late break.
Nothing went Bargoed’s way in the second half. They held out until the 54th minute when Bedwas scored again from a catch and drive with flanker George Lee claiming the score converted by Evans and a well taken third try by flying prop Dan Preece, again converted by Evans – 25-6 after 65 minutes.
Louis Blacker went to the bin for a ruck infringement with 13 minutes left and Bargoed fell prey to another catch and drive when a man short, converted by Lewis Evans to make it 32-5 with 74 minutes on the clock.
Bargoed’s bad day at the office was complete with Keiron Brown red carded for foul play with just two minutes left and former Bargoed player Geraint Edmunds rubbed salt in the wound to finish the game with Bedwas’ fifth try to round it off 37-5.
Bargoed will want to put in some hard work in training this week to prepare for the visit of Pontypridd to Bargoed Park next Saturday.
