Llantwit just miss out after stunning drop goal wins it
By Carl Field - Llantwit Major 19 - 20 Cardiff Met Athletic
LLANTWIT Major RFC agonisingly missed out on silverware at the end of a long season after they were narrowly defeated in dramatic fashion by Cardiff Met Athletic in the Worthington’s Malcolm Thomas Cup Final.
The Blood & Blacks led in both halves of what was a thrilling encounter at Glamorgan Wanderers RFC but, in the end, it was the students celebrating with the cup. Outside half Archie Dowson was the hero for Cardiff Met, picking the ball up under pressure and drop kicking a conversion to centre Michael Yalland’s late try to snatch the East District crown.
Having gone behind, Major then laid siege to the Athletic try line at the death – with No 8 and skipper Dafi Davies denied what looked a certain try following a scrum on two occasions – but they were unable to force their way over. After one final turnover in midfield, The Met’s young guns celebrated.
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow but it was a hell of a battle, I take my hat off to Cardiff Met – they stuck at it,” said Llantwit Major team manager Paul Creed.
“The boys put everything out there and it could have gone either way. To be fair to their outside half, I don’t think he’ll ever hit a drop goal as clean as that ever again.”
The final pitted Major, of Division Three East Central, against Athletic – the newly-crowned champions of Division Five East Central. Athletic held a narrow 8-7 lead at the break, courtesy of hooker Matt Leatham’s unconverted try towards the end of the first half, and an early penalty from Dowson. Flanker Corey Hearne scored for the Blood and Blacks in the first half with full-back Luke Ingram adding the extras.
Llantwit scrum-half Owen Hill, converted by Ingram, and back row forward Charlie Hingorani, then traded tries as Llantwit led for a second time in the match 14-13 with less than 20 minutes left. Wing Rhys David’s try on 69 minutes edged Llantwit 19-13 ahead and closer to glory, although the conversion was missed by replacement Dylan Godsell.
The drama then unfolded after Yalland scored Athletic’s third try three minutes later. With what was a pressure kick and having missed with his first two conversion attempts, Dowson then opted to pick the ball up as it rolled off the tee and, as Llantwit charged him down, put his boot through it. The kick was pinpoint – and the students were back in front, as tempers then started to reach boiling point.
As Llantwit pushed and pushed in the dying moments, it seemed another try was inevitable – but it never came. It brought the curtain down on what has been a mixed bag of a season for Llantwit, who won nine and lost nine of their 18 games to finish fourth in Three East Central.
Creed reflected: “We’ve had an up and down season. We’ve had a lot of difficult weekends where we’ve struggled with boys with work commitments and stuff like that. It could have been a completely different story this season, but we’re going to regroup, and the boys all know what we want to achieve next year – and that’s promotion.
“We had a new coach join the club this year, Matt McCarthy, and he’s brought in a lot of new ideas. He’s a fantastic coach and this just highlights what we can achieve.”
Photo: Ashley Crowden Photography.
Scorers: Llantwit Major: Tries: Corey Hearne, Owen Hill, Rhys David; Cons: Luke Ingram (2).
Cardiff Met Athletic: Tries: Matt Leatham, Charlie Hingorani, Michael Yalland; Con: Archie Dowson; Pen: Archie Dowson.
By Carl Field
All photos by Ashley Crowden Photography.
News, Letters, Sport and advertising are welcomed by the Glamorgan Star – the largest newspaper or magazine in the Vale of Glamorgan. Contact us today here.
j
Two out of two for Pencoed
For whom the (10) bells toll
CAVC buys former Lloyds building to expand in Cardiff
Llantwit Major School praises work experience pupils
Dinas Powys do the double over Centurions
Barry 10K is the biggest ever!
⭐ All of our social media in one handy place – here
