Neyland RFC v Pembroke Dock Harlequins RFC

Pembroke Dock Harlequins made progress in the Knock-Out Cup as they made the short journey over the Cleddau Bridge to Neyland and returned with a deserved win where they scored three good tries and kept a clean sheet as a bonus.

The Quins proved that playing a division higher gives a cutting edge because, as Neyland team manager Martyn Rees said: "We didn't play badly, but they applied a tweezer grip to possession when it counted and we could never really maintain any periods of concerted pressure."

Quins' coach Lenny Scourfield was delighted with victory and thought his pack had provided the launch pad for success.

Scourfield said: "This was just the confidence-booster we needed and the pack secured just the ball for Jason Scarfe and Roy Davies to use. Darren Gibby posed a threat from the back and Jason Keats was another who played well."

The Quins had a ten-point lead at the half-way mark after the only try of the tight first period came when a lineout take and drive saw pocket-battleship prop Richard McIntyre emerge from a heap of bodies to claim the touchdown. No 8 Gareth Scourfield used his trusty left boot to convert from the touchline and added a penalty after some yeoman work by Gary Burns, Martin Cunningham, Ian Osborne and skipper Mike Scourfield, aided and abetted by Phil Hughes and Danny Manning.

Neyland lost influential Colin Picton with first-half hamstring trouble and fly-half Paul Murray departed in the second period with a similar problem and although they rarely mounted strong attacks for any period of time they had some excellent tackling as Martin Roberts saved a certain try and Darren John halted Kevin Bratcher, back from a short stay at Pembroke.

The Quins second-half tries came from Phil Hughes as reward for his excellent support play, and hooker Gary Burns as he rounded off some quick handling that is a trademark of the Quins' pack.

Both tries went unconverted but it mattered little because the Quins were home and dry, looking forward to the next round while the All Blacks can now focus on improving their shaky league position.

Before the match there was a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to Terry Patch' Manning, the outstanding former Quins' prop who had sadly died at the age of 52.

Neyland: Martin Roberts: Darren John; Steve James; Jason Riley; Delme Bateman; Paul Murray (Jonathan Slark); Andrew Slark: Martin Dawes (Capt); Craig Bennett; Robert Codd; Carl Britton; Mark James; Gareth Hein; Mark Chamberlain; Colin Picton (Ashley Richards) Tony Smith-Howell).

Pembroke Dock Harlequins: Darren Gibby; Sam Irwin (Kevin Bratcher); Stuart Hay; Simon Coleman (Pat Russell); Jason Keats; Roy Davies; Jason Scarfe; Richard McIntyre; Gary Burns (Phil Davies); Ian Osborne (Brendan O'Driscoll); Martin Cunningham; Mike Scourfield (Capt); Danny Manning; Phil Hughes; Gareth Scourfield.