Pembroke Dock Harlequins RFC 15 v 16 Llangefni RFC
A late drop goal by outside half Emyr Hughes gave Llangefni all three points at Bierspool and denied Pembroke Dock Harlequins anything to show for a great deal of effort in a match they could well have won.
With his side trailing 15-13 Hughes received the ball in midfield and sent it between the posts to snatch the verdict.
This left the Quins reflecting on lost chances and a conversion by Johnny Clarke which went wrong when the ball fell off the tee after Ian Osborne had scored a try. That try gave the Quins a two point lead with only minutes to go when it might have been four points and Llangefni would have had to score a try to win.
The Anglesey-based side showed why they are in fourth place in the table after settling quicker and opening up a ten-point gap with a Hughes penalty and conversion of flanker Rhodri Owen's try from a driving maul.
The Quins lost full back Gareth Clarke with pulled stomach muscles after only five minutes, but hauled themselves back to 3-10 at the break. Clarke landed a good penalty and there were half chances for Jason Scarfe, Phil Hughes and Darren Gibby.
The Quins made a good start to the second period with Jason Keats and Gibby combining in a powerful thrust which only ended when the final pass went astray, with the pressure telling on Llangefni as brothers Emlyn and Will Bown received yellow cards.
Richard McIntyre hauled the Quins level when the pocket-battleship prop rounded off a take and drive at a lineout to score a try which Johnny Clarke converted.
Hughes landed another penalty for Llangefni but the Quins showed real fight up front with Kevin Bratcher, Phil Hughes, Neil Harries and Mile Scourfield leading the way. Another take by Harries at a lineout allowed replacement prop Ian Osborne to score a carbon copy of McIntyre's try.
But the conversion went wrong when the ball slipped off the tee and Clarke's hurried drop goal attempt went well wide.
Hughes' late drop goal snatched the verdict for the visitors and sent them on the long journey home with their sixth league win in eight outings to keep them in the promotion hunt.
Pembroke Dock Harlequins: Gareth Clarke; Paul Jonker; Darren Gibby; Jason Keats; Pat Russell; Johnny Clarke; Jason Scarfe; Dean Wilcox; Gary Burns (Capt); Richard McIntyre; Gavin Nicholas; Mike Scourfield; Neil Harries; Phil Hughes; Kevin Bratcher. Replacements: Huw John; Ian Osbourne; Stuart Hay; Damien Keats.
Match report supplied by the Western Telegraph.
