Match Report

Neath 48 - Glamorgan Wanderers 17

The Gnoll, Sat 6th Feb 10 KO: 14.00

Neath 48
Glamorgan Wanderers 17

TO say Glamorgan Wanderers aren't flavour of the year in Neath at the moment is understating things.

The way the Ely men closed out last month's 16-11 Swalec Cup victory at the ground with passive scrums left Neath fuming.

The fine reputation that his formerly honest club from the Cardiff suburbs had built up was shattered when prop Mark O'Leary went down like a sack of spuds with an alleged shoulder injury.
The passive scrum call might have taken Wanderers into the next round of the cup, but the friendships they severed in the process will take years to heal.

It was against this background that Wanderers returned to The Gnoll three weeks on, and got both the cold shoulder and the mother of all hammerings.

Not only was right seen to triumph over wrong, but it was the disciplined manner that Neath went about the retribution process.
The easiest thing in the world would have been for the Neath players to take the law into their own hands, but instead it was Wanderers who lost the plot.

They had centre Charlie Johnson sent off by Dunvant referee Jonathan Mason in the 70th minute for stamping.  This in addition to yellow cards shown in the first half to back row forwards Ben Rose and Mazin Al-Azzawi, as Wanderers felt the full implications of the hurt they caused Neath.

Full marks to referee Mason and the touch judges, as they refused to take any nonsense whatsoever from the Cardiff side's players or coaching entourage.

Unlike the cup-tie when pathetic refereeing allowed Wanderers to get away with murder at both scrums and breakdowns, the Dunvant man gave what he saw.

However, unwittingly Wanderers might well have impacted on Neath's season.  Since the cup defeat, the Blacks have adopted a more focussed and disciplined approach, and this was highlighted the week before during the league win at Aberavon.

The manner in which they were removed from the cup has left Neath to concentrate on the league - and they may yet have Wanderers and their head coach Richard Hodges to thank for it.
With feathers ruffled, Neath displayed the kind of form that struck fear into sides when lifting the championship four years on the trot.
Wanderers were blown out of the bathwater during the first half with Neath securing the bonus point by the 28th minute.
"Two things pleased me about this victory - our discipline and the clinical manner in which the Wanderers were despatched," said Neath head coach Patrick Horgan.
"Though the cup defeat was three weeks ago, it still hurts as there are ways and means of securing victories.
"They were aware there was going to be a backlash, and the boys delivered it in stunning fashion.
"If this kind of form can be maintained, then we stand as good a chance as any of lifting the championship.
"Who knows, the actions of the Wanderers might form a watershed moment in our season.''

With flanker Michael Collins and hooker Ashleigh James lynchpins in the home pack, the Blacks constructed an unassailable 31-3-interval lead.
Four tries in 28 minutes from full-back Kevin Morgan, wings Alec Jenkins and Kevin James along with flanker Gareth Gravell gave Neath the extra point.

Though they eased off during the third quarter, resulting in the lead being cut to 36-10, a final wave of scoring was just around the corner.

But before that got underway, The Gnoll bid farewell to their favourite son, Wanderers prop Mark O'Leary, who got a dose of cold shoulder to go with the shoulder complaint that received intense physio treatment in the run up to the game. 

As O'Leary waddled off, a mischievous Neath music man decided to give a classic Hank Williams hit an airing over the PA system.
"Your Cheating Heart" being rated number one cheating song of all time in the charts was the supposed link.

Close-range tries from prop Martin Jones and replacement scrum-half Tom James then left Wanderers with more wounds to lick.
Though centre Simon Rosser and lock Gareth Knight both touched down for the visitors, the game was all about Neath putting the record straight.

MATCH STATS

NEATH: Tries - A. Jenkins (2), K. Morgan, K. James, G. Gravell, K. Farrell, M. Jones, T. James; Cons: A. Thomas (3), G. McCarthy

Team: K. Morgan; K. James, N. Brew (repl G. McCarthy 58 mins), S. Thomas, A. Jenkins; A. Thomas (capt - repl R. Smith 64), K. Farrell (repl T. James 49); N. Downs, A. James (repl A. Littlehales 53), M. Jones (repl E. Lewis 72), N. Edwards (repl H. Pugh 49), E. Evans, M. Collins, G. Gravell (repl C. Price h/t), L. Evans

GLAM WANDS: Tries - S. Rosser, G. Knight; Cons: S. Sneddon (2) Pen: S. Sneddon

Team: O. Marshall; R. Budina (repl R. Wardle 57), S. Rosser, C. Johnson, S. Cullen (repl R. Healey 45); S. Sneddon, H. Trelawney (capt - repl R. Dyer 66); D. Douthwaite (repl R. Beddows 53), J. Richards (repl I. Dobbs h/t), M. O'Leary (repl J. Russell 67), J. Barley (repl R. Thomas h/t), G. Knight, L. Highgate, M. Al-Azzawi, B. Rose

RED CARD: C. Johnson (Glam Wands) 70

YELLOW CARDS: B. Rose 32, M. Al-Azzawi 38 (both Glam Wands), L. Evans (Neath) 43

REFEREE: Jonathan Mason (Dunvant)

NEATH STAR CHOICE: Ashleigh James