Match Centre

Match Report

Skewen 0 - Neath 57

TBC, Tue 11th Sep 07 KO: 14:30

SKEWEN NIL  NEATH 57 PTS Three-times Principality Premiership champions Neath visited Skewen on Tuesday for a special 125th Anniversary fixture. The outgunned home side stuck to their task with great resolve and to their credit kept trying to play open football – and it could be that one or two of their young up and coming players will follow the paths of Kevin James and Wayne Mitchell in graduating to The Gnoll in the future. Neath did them the honour of fielding a strong side that included Ospreys Academy centre Ashley Beck, a Skewen junior graduate, and the Blacks led 33-nil at halftime through tries by flanker Simon Pengelly (2), lively hooker Ashleigh James, Gareth James on the wing and scrum-half Gareth Williams, Howard Thomas converting four. In the second-half, Neath added further tries by Gareth King, Stephen Thomas, Ashley Beck and Howard Thomas who converted two more for a match-haul of 17 points before referee Neil Howells (Maesteg) who kept the game flowing whistled early and the team trooped off to the clubhouse to witness the televised non-entertainment of The Ospreys-Scarlets clash.  Neath team manager Stuart Evans said, “I was impressed by Skewen’s approach and their commitment to a fast game which will have done our boys good too in terms of match contact in an otherwise blank week. We look forward to the return fixture at The Gnoll on Friday 23 November (7.15pm), the eve of the Wales-South Africa game.” Neath v Skewen :- G.King (O.Scourfield); G.James, D.Humphries, A.Beck, M.Nuthall (S.Thomas); H.Thomas, G.Williams (K.James); J.Thomas (A.Sheey), A.James, R.Davies (G.Deren); E.Evans (A.Littlehales), O.Booyse; G.Price, A.Llewellyn (captain), S.Pengelly (J.Bradley)