Heol-y-Cyw miss out in thrilling Skewen RFC encounter
Heol-y-Cyw and Skewen RFC engaged in a thrilling encounter on Saturday. It was no surprise that both teams left everything on the pitch, as it was an engaging battle from the opening minute to the final whistle. Of course, it wasn't the result that Heol-y-Cyw will be hoping for, having suffered a 19-17 defeat in a heartbreaker of a game.
The contest
There was a certain buzz around the contest for Heol-y-Cyw as it was the first time they would be playing in front of a home crowd this season. They were looking to bounce back after a defeat to Builth Wells two weeks prior. The weather wasn't ideal as the threat of rain formed into blue skies as the game progressed. From the opening whistle, it was clear both sides were ready to give their all for victory. The Cyw’s first try came off a lineout where the set piece was executed perfectly, providing a foundation for Lewis Gibson to power over the line for his side’s first score. Not long after, Tyler Maidment went over the try line to build a healthy margin. Heol-y-Cyw went into the break holding a 12-0 lead.
The second half told a different story as Skewen rallied back with a try from Ki Morgan. He capitalised on a beautiful cross kick to give his side their first points. The winger would go on to score a hat-trick, as the away side moved the ball well to give him a second. Heol-y-Cyw rallied with Gibson's second try, and the home side was on the hunt for a bonus point until the ref blew the whistle. Skewen tapped the ball found the space, and Morgan went the length of the pitch to break the home crowd’s heart.
Steve Roberts’ thoughts
Even though the contest ended in defeat, there were still many positives to take from the game. Coach Steve Roberts gives his thoughts on the contest.
“Despite the loss on Saturday, which was very hard to take due to it being in the last minute, I must applaud the decision on the pitch to go for a 4th try bonus point. Unfortunately, a penalty in the act of scoring that 4th try gave Skewen the chance for a quick tap penalty to run the entire length of the pitch.
“On another day we would have been celebrating a bonus point win. We are a new team with several debuts again this week, but we were agonisingly close. It just goes to show what the players are capable of, and we have plenty of positives to work with and areas to improve, so we go again next Saturday.”
There was a lot to build on from the performance, with a long season ahead.
The league
The results mean Heol-y-Cyw sit eighth in the table with one point. Builth Wells sit on the top spot following a 29-16 victory over Nantyffyllon. Just behind them sit Neath Athletic in second place after a 22-11 win over Ystalyfera. For Heol-y-Cyw, attention now turns to an away clash against Nantyffyllon as both teams look to get back to winning ways.
On Saturday, Heol-y-Cyw proved they can put points on the board, and with the support on the sidelines, it will be fascinating to see what they can achieve this season.