Match Report: Bridgend 30 – 27 Aberavon
by Paul Williams

For the second time this season Aberavon came within a whisker of victory over Bridgend, with two penalties from Luke Price in the dying minutes overhauling the Wizards’ three-point lead.

It took fifteen minutes for either team to trouble the scoreboard operator, during which the Wizards lost their long-serving loose-head prop Rowan Jenkins with what appeared to be a serious injury, Bridgend wing Macauley Rowley crossing for an unconverted try to open his team’s account. Aberavon fly-half Ed Dunford reduced the arrears with a penalty early in the third quarter, then repeated the feat on the half-hour mark to put his side ahead by a single point.

A minute later, a pass from Price near half-way was picked off by Dunford who raced in unopposed, adding the conversion to make it 5-13. This appeared to inspire the Wizards and as half-time approached they produced arguably their best passage of play. An inch-perfect box-kick from scrum-half Elis Horgan was chased down by replacement Josh Thomas, and his perfect tackle presented led to an Aberavon line-out on half-way. From the set-piece they worked their way upfield, with quickly recycled ruck ball setting up some accurate passing from forwards and backs that stretched the home defence one way then the other, until flanker Gwilym Evans burst through in midfield. He was hauled down a few metres short of the line, then back-row colleague Ben Gregory was inches short before centre Frankie Jones picked up and crashed over beneath the posts for Dunford to convert and thus take the half-time score to 5-20.

The third quarter, however, belonged entirely to the home side, as they worked their way back into contention with tries from Ryan Wilkins, Luke Price and former Wizard Evan Yardley, with the first two converted by Price, giving them a 24-20 lead.

The Wizards were not yet done, however, and once again a Bridgend midfield pass was intercepted, this time by Frankie Jones, who went racing away to within a metre of the home line before being tackled. His offload, however, intended for Felix Gilbert up in close support, didn’t reach its target as Gilbert, with the line at his mercy was tackled without the ball, yielding a penalty try, a yellow card for Rowley and a three-point lead for the visitors.

With the clock running down, it was a tense finale, but it was a case of ‘so near and yet so far’ as Price kicked two penalties in the dying moments to clinch a 30-27 victory.

Date:
Saturday January 4th, 2025

Score:
Bridgend 30 – 27 Aberavon

Aberavon Team:
Morgan Meaclem; Caine Woolerton (rep Josh Thomas 19 min), Joe Gage (capt) (rep Owen Erasmus 26 min), Frankie Jones, Felix Gilbert; Ed Dunford, Elis Horgan; Rowan Jenkins (rep Jordan Walters 3 min), Ellis Major, Geraint James (rep Morgan James 75 min), Shay Smallman, Lewis Marsh (rep Ross Fox 56 min), Ben Gregory (rep Cameron Loveys 65 min), Ashton Evans (rep Tom Caple 71 min), Gwilym Evans.

Replacement Not Used:
Jamie Goldsworthy.

Notes:
Ellis Major appeared from Tondu RFC; Owen Erasmus appeared from the Ospreys; Jamie Goldsworthy appeared from Whitland RFC; Cameron Loveys appeared from Baglan RFC; Tom Caple appeared from the Dragons.
Club debuts for Morgan Meaclem, Owen Erasmus & Tom Caple.

Aberavon Scorers:
T – Ed Dunford, Frankie Jones, Penalty Try
C – Ed Dunford (2)
P – Ed Dunford (2)

Bridgend Scorers:
T – McCauley Rowley, Ryan Wilkins, Luke Price, Evan Yardley
C – Luke Price (2)
P – Luke Price (2)

Referee:
Adam Jones

Man Of The Match:
1 – Gwilym Evans
2 – Ashton Evans
3 – Elis Horgan

Time Line:
15 min: Bridgend – T – McCauley Rowley (5 – 0)
22 min: Aberavon – PG – Ed Dunford (5 – 3)
30 min: Aberavon – PG – Ed Dunford (5 – 6)
31 min: Aberavon – T – Ed Dunford & C – Ed Dunford (5 – 13)
36 min: Aberavon – T – Frankie Jones & C – Ed Dunford (5 – 20)
40+4 min: Half Time
43 min: Bridgend – T – Ryan Wilkins & C – Luke Price (12 – 20)
48 min: Bridgend – T – Luke Price & C – Luke Price (19 – 20)
53 min: Bridgend – T – Evan Yardley (24 – 20)
76 min: Aberavon – T – Penalty Try (24 – 27)
77 min: Bridgend – Yellow Card – McCauley Rowley
80+1 min: Bridgend – PG – Luke Price (27 – 27)
80+4 min: Bridgend – PG – Luke Price (30 – 27)
80+4 min: Full Time