Miners tame Cougars in bottom of the table clash
The game between the two bottom placed clubs in the Total RL.com Welsh Rugby League Conference gave the crowd of 200 a great spectacle of Rugby League. The match started as a nervous affair with mistakes from both sides and the game was 15 minutes old when Miners' full back Anthony Evans scored a superb try in the corner outpacing the covering defence. A few minutes later saw a great forwards move after a scrum midfield with loose forward Pat McLernon going over the line from 15 metres out.

After 20 minutes, Miners' wing Damian James raced the length of the pitch scoring a great try with his brother Gareth converting. The Valley Cougars rallied together to produce a good try from Rhodri Morris in the last minute of the half making the half-time score 14-6.

The second half saw the Miners taking charge of the game with some exciting back play. Wing Damian James scored his second try receiving the ball from a double miss pass and stepping inside with 20 metres to go. The second try of the half was scored exactly mid-way through when stand off Gareth James intercepted a wild pass on his own 10 metre line and raced the length of the pitch to score under the posts, converting his own try.

Cougars fought back in the last 20 minutes of the game with Alun Williams going over the line twice, once out wide and the other under the posts to bring the score back to 24-16.

However it was Swansea who held onto their lead to put themselves back up to fifth in the table.

Article by Ian Golden
31 May 2004