COBRA (pictured) let a 12-point halftime lead slip as poor discipline by the visitors allowed hosts Llanidloes to fight back and take the points.
COBRA started the first half with purpose and had Llanidloes pinned back in the early exchanges. No 8 Alun Jones broke through two tackles and raced clear to score under the posts after just five minutes but the conversion was pushed wide.
Llanidloes controlled the next 30 minutes as COBRA committed a succession of offences which allowed them dominate, but a strong COBRA defence kept Llanidloes at bay. Llanidloes had four unsuccessful goal attempts in this period. In the final minutes of the half, COBRA scored their second try through the forwards who set up a powerful maul from a lineout, which was driven over the try line. Jones was the beneficiary to score his second try of the day. Centre Geraint Williams slotted the conversion to give COBRA a healthy 12-point lead at the break.
Llanidloes responded in the second half as COBRA kept offering up shots at goal to the home side as they committed more penalty offences. The Llanidloes kicker eventually found his form and soon reduced the lead to six points with two successful penalties. With the game in the balance, two yellow cards for COBRA players tipped the balance in Llanidloes’ favour. Reduced to 13 men the COBRA defence was stretched to its limit and eventually ran out of numbers as Llanidloes moved the ball wide and scored in the corner. The conversion was missed leaving Llanidloes trailing by a point.
In the dying minutes of the game COBRA yielded yet another penalty, this time in front of the posts, which the Llanidloes kicker slotted to give them the win.
Coach James Watkin was pragmatic after the match saying: “We can have no complaints about the outcome of the game. This was a game that we let slip away through a lack of discipline. The number of penalties we conceded was unacceptable to a team playing at any level. We will be working hard to put things right before next week.”
COBRA
1 H Jones 2 C Davies 3 A Evans 4 R Vaughan 5 G R Evans 6 A Davies 7 G Evans
8 A Jones 9 I Vaughan 10 R Davies 11 J Thomas 12 A Pryce 13 G Williams
14 M Jones 15 S Williams 16 B Edwards 17 R Evans 18 H Evans 19 A Williams
Welshpool showed some bright moments despite slipping to a 42-0 defeat at home to Rhyl. Trailing 22-0 at the interval, Welshpool enjoyed some decent possession early in the second period but eventually ran out of steam.
COBRA Youth continued with their strong start to the season with a comfortable 18-3 win at Colwyn Bay. COBRA scored two tries through outside half Elliot Mayor and centre Steff Lowther. Scrum half Llew Williams kicked a conversion and two penalties.
Swalec League – Division 2 North
Llanidloes 14-12 COBRA
Welshpool 0, Rhyl 47
North Wales Youth League Division 1
Colwyn Bay 3 -18 COBRA