Pembrokeshire Knock Out Cup:
Pembroke 25 - Whitland 33
Whitland gained their expected passage into the next round of the KO Cup at Crickmarren but not before they had been pushed all the way by a Pembroke side which scored five tries as reward for their enterprise – but were again left to reflect on the fact that they had no points from kicks.
Home coach Geraint Lewis was pleased with his team’s performance against a Whitland side from two divisions higher.
“I was delighted to be able to select a much stronger side than of late and am hoping we can restart our season with some wins in league matches after this display.
But it was Whitland who took the early lead with an unconverted try from winger Deian Sion Augustus before the Scarlets’ blind-side flanker Dom Colman ploughed over after good work by Johnny Palmer, Sean Wiseman and Owain Johns in setting things up.
Borderers reduced to 14 men
Then Whitland were reduced to 14 men as flanker Carwyn Thomas received his marching orders – but they bounced back with a nicely-conceived try by winger Sean Coles which outside half Nico Setaro converted.
The Scarlets responded before the break with a another try, This time by flanker Dan Manning, w
It was Colman who put Pembroke in front for the first time when he claimed his second try but the Borderers were soon back in front as pacy New Zealand winger Sean Coles raced through for his second try, with Setaro adding the extra points to give his team a four-point advantage.
Fortunes ebbed and flowed
But Will Edwards, who is playing really well for the Scarlets, put them a single point ahead – only for the Borderers to
use their experience to good effect with tries from prop Jamie Styles (after a charge down) and full back Jonathan Thomas, both converted by Setaro, to put his side into a match-winning position.
The Scarlets had the final word when skipper and scrum half Jordan Gwilliam, who had played well alongside 19 year olds Ryan Wilkins and Billy Woods, put Colman in for his deserved hat-trick of tries – but it was too little, too late as Whitland wrote their name clearly in the second round draw!
