Match Report

Wanderers 20 - Neath 3

Memorial Ground, Tue 25th Nov 08 KO: 19:15

NEATH failed to find the form last night against Glamorgan Wanderers that had carried them to successive wins over Llandovery and Swansea.
This was another step backwards for the champions, who will now be hard pressed to lift the championship for the fifth year on the trot.
Their only previous defeat at the ground came on the opening day of the 2006-07 campaign when losing 33-30.
However, Neath have now lost five of their opening 11 league fixtures, and a victory over table-topping Llanelli at The Gnoll in their next engagement on December 6 is now imperative.

On the night the Blacks were outwitted by a team faster in deed and thought, leading to only their second defeat against the Cardiff side in nine league meetings.
Early Neath pressure led to centre Matty James landing a 12th-minute penalty that was nullified five minutes on by a similar effort from fly-half Scott Sneddon.
A barnstorming 20th-minute run from Neath's best forward, lock Haydn Pugh, came to grief when the final pass to centre James was adjudged forward.

But the Blacks fell behind in the 28th minute when full-back James Loxton slipped a tackle to touch down wide out, with fly-half Sneddon converting.
Sneddon missed out with a penalty five minutes later as the Cardiff side began to hold a territorial advantage.
However, Neath responded in the approach to half-time, and it was the turn of centre James to miss out with a penalty chance.
Adrift 10-3 at the break, the Blacks fell further behind in the 42nd minute when they failed to deal with a Sneddon kick ahead.
Flanker Ben Rose latched on the error to claim a try that Sneddon improved on.
Neath fly-half Arwel Thomas then came within a whisker of getting on the end of a stray pass to intercept as the Blacks attempted to claw their way back.

But with Neath unable to make little headway, four changes in personnel were made around the hour mark in a last throw of the dice.
But little changed, and a 67th-minute penalty from Sneddon put the game well out of Neath's reach.
Neath made laboured attempts to salvage something from the debris, but they failed to threaten the home try-line.

Match stats

Glam Wands 20
Tries: Tries - J. Loxton, B. Rose; Cons: S. Sneddon (2); Pens: S. Sneddon (2)

J. Loxton; S. Cullen, J. Jones, J. Thomas (repl N. Gill 54 mins), C. Johnson; S. Sneddon, G. Holloway (repl L. Evans 73); N. Trevett (repl R. Gill 56-78), R. Johnson (repl R. Price 73), S. Andrews (repl M. O'Leary 75), N. Kelly (capt), G. Knight (repl T. Evans 75); A. Senio (repl G. Edmunds 73), R. Thomas, B. Rose

Neath 3
Pen: M. James
G. King; K. James, D. Lockyer, M. James, M. Nuthall; A. Thomas (repl M. Jarvis 55), K. Farrell (repl T. Knoyle 55); N. Downs, A. Littlehales (repl J. Richards 64), A. Howell (repl P. Jones 58), E. Evans (repl C. Ruddock 69), H. Pugh, J. Bowd, L. Beach (capt), G. Gravell (repl L. Evans 55)

Referee: Philip Fear (Fleur-de-Lys)

Neath star choice: Haydn Pugh