Sport – Barry almost clear of danger zone

BARRY made it three wins on the bounce in a hard-fought and scrappy game at the Reservoir Field.

With other results going their way, this victory means there is a little less pressure on the Bombers. They are not mathematically safe just yet, but are now above Llanishen on games won, and the gap between the Bombers and struggling Rhiwbina has widened to 15 points, both having six matches left. Porth, after their 12th straight defeat, are marooned at the bottom on five points.

The first half was tight and error strewn. “The players are so committed to not making mistakes that they make more mistakes instead of relaxing and getting into the game,” said head coach Mike Morgan. “Sometimes it’s difficult to find your groove, and in the first half we couldn’t.”

Barry’s scrum was rarely troubled throughout, and gradually became more dominant, but the lineout stuttered in the first half. “There were too many mistakes in the lineout,” said Morgan, “and uncharacteristically we were losing lineout ball, causing us to go backwards too much.

“In the second half the boys knew what they had to do. It was still a little bit tense, but the lineout started working, and we were keeping the ball well on their line. We kept knocking on the door.”

Cavan Slade gave Porth the lead with a penalty in the third minute, and much of the first half was, in Morgan’s view “a bit of a dogfight”, but towards the end Barry began to get on top, pressure and good phases being rewarded in the last minute of the half when Evan Prosser went over, Jack Davies converting.

Rhys Powell extended the lead with a 56th minute try as more pressure paid off. Barry squandered the chance of points when Porth gave away a string of penalties before nerves were finally calmed when a good handling move saw Jack Davies get the third try two minutes from time.

“In the huddle at the end you could have heard a pin drop,” said Morgan. The players, he said, were disappointed with their performance “but we won. We haven’t been in that space for a long time.”

Barry host Abercwmboi on Saturday and will be looking to extend the winning run as they seek to avenge the 22-21 last-gasp defeat in November.

*Prior to the Porth match, a minute’s silence was held in memory of Peter Oxenham, who played in the second row for Barry in the 1950s and 1960s and was always a staunch supporter of the club.

Ken Watkins

Photos by Judith Dutton.

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