Fixture

Bargoed closed the gap on the fourth place promotion spot to five points scoring 26 unanswered points in an impressive second half against a feisty Glynneath outfit at Abernant Park.

The Blues suffered an early injury setback with prop Ali Gardner - Keys going off in the fifth minute with Jac Williams replacing him and the young tight - head was the first on the scoreboard. Bargoed took a Glynneath scrum against the head, outside half Callum Jones attacked the line but was held up and quickly recycled ball got to Williams who crashed over from short range. Jones added the extras against a stiff breeze.

Bargoed continued to press but a knock - on was hacked upfield by Jordan Griffiths and the ball sat up nicely for the centre to cross unopposed. Lloyd Thomas converted and it was all square at 7-7 after 17 minutes.

The rest of the half was a competitive but scrappy affair, handling was difficult in the cold wind and frequent blasts of the referee's whistle made for a frustratingly stop-start spectacle and it was the home side who went into the break with the lead following a Lloyd Thomas penalty to make it 10-7 at half time.

Bargoed dominated the second half from the outset. Wing Gareth Dare typically bounced off tackles to put replacement Matthew Hurley, on for the injured Callum Jones, into space and the outside half ghosted through the defence and slipped a pass to Lewis Protheroe for the centre to cross for Bargoed's second try. Hurley converted to restore Bargoed's lead just 3 minutes after the restart.

Dare was in action again for the third try. Prominent loose head Keiron Brown made ground and offloaded to Hurley with Dare outside him and the winger smashed through two tackles on a rampaging run up the touchline to score in the corner. Hurley, having his best game for the Blues this season , converted impressively from out wide to put extend the lead to 10-21.

The bonus point try came three minutes later. Back row Lewis Weyman burst through on half way. Keiron Brown took it on with Dare supporting but the move ground to a halt illegally under the posts with a penalty awarded by referee Dai Cambbourne.  Bargoed tapped and went, Jac Williams was held up before the ball was moved wide for centre Darren Humphries to cross in the corner. The conversion failed but Bargoed were comfortably ahead at 10-26 as the game entered the final quarter.

The final score came two minutes from time. James Pizey tapped and caught the home defence napping on the half way line and the replacement scrum half ran in the fifth try. Hurley rounded off a fine half with his third conversion to end the game 10-33.

Bargoed are now well-placed for the run-in with 8 home games from the remaining  ten, including visits from all four top placed sides with Merthyr next weekend and RGC the week after so the next two weeks will be season defining for the reigning champions.