Bedwas RFC 26 Penallta RFC 22.
WRU Championship Challenge Cup, round two, Saturday 26 October 2024.
Match report and photography by Ian Lovell.
As anticipated, this was a close, keenly fought encounter which had plenty of issues for supporters to discuss after the game, but it will be Bedwas in the hat for the draw of matches in the last eight of the competition.
On another mild, sunny afternoon both sides took their time to hit their straps, but it was Bedwas who scored first. A Bedwas attack was deemed to be illegally halted close to the try line, Penallta scrum half Aaron Bidgood was adjudged the guilty party and a ten-minute spell on the sidelines followed his yellow card.
Bedwas responded immediately from a scrum with the forwards driving in for Dale Rogers to cross for a try, improved upon by Lloyd Wilkins.
Penallta responded three minutes later with a Joesph Scrivens penalty near the halfway line after a Bedwas tackle was deemed high.
Just as Aeron Bidgood spell on the sidelines ended Scrivens added his second long range penalty goal after Bedwas were penalised at a ruck.
Three minutes later Penallta again incurred the wrath of the referee this time a yellow card for full back Elliott Keep for a tip tackle.
Again, the Bedwas response was instant as Mike Dacey was driven over for a try which Lloyd Wilkins converted to put Bedwas fourteen points to six ahead.
The remaining fifteen minutes of the half belonged to Penallta as an Alex Langworthy try converted by Scrivens followed by another long range Scrivens penalty put Penallta ahead by two points at the interval.
Early in the second half Bedwas replaced both starting props before Will Fishlock had a try disallowed with the referee on the wrong side to see the grounding therefore deemed held up.
Shortly afterwards Lloyd Wilkins missed a penalty attempt which looked as though it could prove costly as his opposite number Scrivens added to his tally after Bedwas were penalised at a scrum.
With eighteen minutes played good hands saw Llewelyn Brown find the space to dive in for a try in the left-hand corner, Wilkins missed the conversion, but the scores were tied at nineteen each.
Bedwas looked to turn the screw, but Adam Williams’s try was ruled out for a forward pass in the build-up.
Undeterred Bedwas took the lead with nine minutes to play as Leo Geraci sprinted clear to dive over for a try in the corner, Lloyd Wilkins did well to convert from close to the touchline to give Bedwas a seven-point advantage with eight minutes to play.
Scrivens notched his fifth penalty of the afternoon for a personal tally of seventeen points with five minutes left to play to set up a grandstand finish but then it all unravelled for Penallta.
As Penallta attacked Bedwas were awarded a penalty and alleged foul and abusive language aimed at the referee saw Penallta’s replacement hooker Gregg Haines shown a red card.
It got worse for Penallta as following an alleged tip tackle Joseph Scrivens went from hero to zero as he too was shown a straight red card.
Bedwas were able to hold out for the last two minutes to earn in place in the last eight when the competition pits west clubs against east for the first time.
Next week sees Bedwas return to Championship East League action as we welcome Talywain RFC to the Bridgefield.
Today’s Man of the Match sponsored by Casa Mia Restaurant of Caerphilly was awarded to Adam Williams.
Match images from today’s game can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/bedwasrfc/albums