Haverfordwest RFC 5 v 24 Pembroke Dock Harlequins RFC
Pembroke Dock Harlequins showed their full forward power against Haverfordwest to gain a thoroughly deserved win over the Blues under heavy conditions at Merlins Bridge.
The visitors ran in five tries to the Blues' one, gaining sweet revenge for an earlier defeat when the two met at Bierspool.
Small wonder then that Quins coach Lenny Scourfield was delighted by the way his players were in charge for much of the match. They used their forward drives to suck in the Blues' cover and create chances that saw them 12-5 ahead at the interval and scored two tries without response against the breeze in the second period.
The Blues sustained a blow before the match when influential No 8 Andrew Thicker failed a fitness test. After the teams had sized each other up during the first quarter, dynamic flanker Neil Harries gave the Quins the lead when he rounded off some good handling by Johnny Clark and fit-again Gareth Scourfield to race over in the corner.
Haverfordwest bounced back seven minutes later as their pack secured quick ball and Jonathan Morgan cleverly switched play blind to put half back partner Matthew John in from 15 metres.
Haverfordwest prop Danny Miners was yellow-carded after half an hour for allegedly dragging a maul down and the inevitable happened soon afterwards when the Quins' pack drove their opponents from near half way. When Mike Scourfield won the ensuing lineout it left brother Gareth to claim the try which he also converted after he had been impelled across the line by Ian Osborne, Dai Lewis and the rest of the Quins' pack.
The Quins also had Jason Griffiths out of semi-retirement as a ninth forward at scrum half and the former hooker showed his love of close play within eight minutes of the oranges as he dummied his way over for a deserved try in which Richard McIntyre and skipper Gary Burns were heavily involved.
Three minutes later the Quins made sure of success with their fourth try. A quick penalty allowed centre Darren Gibby to power forward and Johnny Clarke booted the ball ahead for centre Jason Keats to win the race as he put in another kick and scored a try which Gareth Scourfield converted.
The Blues had their share of possession in the latter stages but good defence by Gareth Clarke, Danny Manning, Simon Coleman and Patrick Russell ensured they were unable to score any more points and the Quins recrossed the Cleddau Bridge with the three league points they sought to climb up the section table. Haverfordwest were sponsored by Jewson/Marshall and Welsh Bakery, with the match ball sponsored by Big Five Plus Five.
Haverfordwest: Ceri Jones; Chris Shewry (Darren Salmon); Dan Harries; Jonathan Venables; Mike Venables (Richard James); Matthew John; Jonathan Morgan; Danny Miners (Chris Wills); Gareth Green; Tom Slater; Gareth Phillips; Gareth Thomas; Rob Norton; Richard Brazell (Capt); Dafydd Bowen.
Pembroke Dock Harlequins: Gareth Clarke; Patrick Russell; Jason Keats; Darren Gibby; Simon Coleman; Johnny Clarke; Jason Griffiths; Ian Osborne (Darren Wilcox); Gary Burns (Capt); Richard McIntyre; Mike Scourfield; Dai Lewis (Martin Cunningham); Neil Harries; Danny Manning; Gareth Scourfield. Replacements unused: Paul Jonker
Match report supplied by the Western Telegraph.
