Fixture

 

Bargoed took the lead with a well struck James Hallett penalty with just two minutes gone before full back Callum Hall squared it five minutes later.

 

The home crowd was stunned into silence when a scrum was disrupted on a Ponty feed and as it wheeled Bargoed scrum half James Pizey harassed number eight Dan Godfrey and opposite number Dane Blacker to allow hooker Leigh Meades to snap up the loose ball and cross in the corner. Hallett's conversion attempt shaved the left post and Bargoed were 3-8 up after 19 minutes.

 

Bargoed defended comfortably up to the half hour when a poor clearance kick was run back by the slick Pontypridd backs and wing Lewis Williams crossed for a well taken try to square it at 8-8.

 

Matters took a turn for the worse for the Bulls with referee Robert Price showing a yellow card to second row Grant Rogers on 37 minutes for coming round the side of a ruck and dislodging the ball from the Dane Blacker's hands. Pontypridd took full advantage kicking to the corner and a catch and drive from the line out was stopped well by the Bargoed defence but a second drive came on and over the eight went with hooker Liam Belcher coming up with the ball to make it 13-8 at the break.

 

Pontypridd looked determined to make Bargoed pay for being a man down and with just two minutes gone in the second half second row Hemi Barnes punched a hole through the centre and quick recycling got the ball to fellow lock Chris Dicomidis lurking on the wing to cross in the corner. Hall converted well from wide out to make it 20-8.

 

However Bargoed weren't taking it lying down and a driving maul from a lineout on the Ponty twenty two split under pressure from a defensive drive only for hooker Leigh meads to cleverly change direction and spin off unopposed to cross for his second try. Hallet converted and Bargoed were back in it as the game entered the last quarter at 20-15.

 

All coaches will say that switching off just after you've scored is criminal and Bargoed were guilty as charged straight from the restart with a loose pass bouncing in front of defenders and finding its way to Dale Stuckey out wide for the bonus point try and Hall converted well to make it 27-15.

 

Bargoed chased the game seeking a losing bonus point but that was put beyond them with a Hall penalty on 79 minutes and deep into injury time with 85 minutes on the stadium clock, Dane Blacker rounded it off with a try under the posts which Hall converted to make he final score 37-15.