Sport – Barry Youth solve problems to beat Builth

BACK in action after a three-week break, Barry’s combination of resilience, speed and skill earned them a comfortable victory in this opening Premier League fixture, as they started the build up to the WRU National Youth Plate final in May.

Builth, beaten semi-finalists in the National Youth Cup, put Barry under pressure in the opening 15 minutes, taking an early 7-0 lead. But Barry dug in, worked out how to get away from the visitors’ big players, and began to open up the game on a firm Reservoir Field pitch.

“We knew Builth would be good, based on where they got to in the Cup,” said head coach John Dimond. “We made a couple of early errors, and here was a little bit of ring rust with no game for three weeks. But they showed how resilient they are. And as the season has gone on, they’ve got better and better.”

The pitch suited Barry’s playing style. “With the amount of pace we’ve got in our pack, and behind it, a firm ground suits us. We were making line breaks in the middle of the pitch and putting passes away. It was a great performance all round.

“Our boys just found the answer to everything as the game went on, and it gave me the opportunity to put boys who haven’t had much game time on for the last 15 minutes.”

Dimond singled out Isaac Thomas for special praise. Thomas, who scored a vital interception try in the Plate semi-final, bagged another against Builth. “Every time he got the ball he stood out head and shoulders above everyone.”

Barry’s next Championship fixture is at home to Merthyr on Saturday, 5th April. Other teams in the division are Pontypool United, Aberdare and Caldicot. Dimond will fit in two more fixtures prior to the Plate final against Gorseinon at Rodney Parade on 5th May.

Barry: Tries – Isaac Thomas 2, Tyler Reinholdt, Zac Edwards, Morgan Prosser; conv – Prosser 3.

KW

Photo by Judith Dutton.

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