1:16pm Thursday 12th October 2006
BARRY 1st XV 13
ABERCWMBOI 9
BARRY maintained their unbeaten home record this season with a narrow hard-fought victory over Abercwmboi, to consolidate fourth place in their division, just behind Cefn Coed on points difference.
In a workmanlike first half performance against the wind and slope, the Barry forwards stood up well against aggressive opponents.
Ill-discipline by the home side was punished with two penalty kicks within ten minutes of play, the first a halfway line effort. Not long after as Aber looked to run ball out of their own half, a perfectly timed interception by centre Grantly Harris saw him sprint 45 metres to touch down, giving Cummings a straight forward conversion and Barry the lead.
Within minutes, a kick ahead and chase by outside half Andy Griffiths saw the defence infringe, and centre Cummings punished them with a successful penalty kick.
A third penalty success to the visitors in the half saw them trail by a point at the interval.
Having seen the visitors fail to take advantage of the elements, it seemed a certainty that, with the right tactics, Barry should comfortably pull clear in the second half.
But this was not to be, as old habits of trying to run out of defence instead of putting the ball through the air into the bottom corner, surfaced far too often.
An unfortunate leg injury to Harris early in the second period, thankfully not as bad as first feared when he was stretchered off, saw able replacement Andy Buckland take the field.
The extremely windy conditions were too difficult for Cummings to master with the couple of penalty chances he was given, so the teams were separated by just that one point until the final whistle.
Then outside half Griffiths tried his luck with a penalty attempt, the ball just shaving the inside of the upright to give vital breathing space as the lengthy injury time was played out.
l Saturday sees the relatively short trip for the Firsts to Vale neighbours Cowbridge, ko 2.30pm, an encounter that on paper at least looks easier than the next home match against Cefn Coed, on Saturday, October 28.
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