Beaufort Vs Trefil

Date:- 17th April 2009

Venue;- Beaufort

Fixture:- WRU Division East 6

BEAUFORT RFC 21 POINTS TREFIL RFC 21 POINTS

It was thrilling end to this rearranged league fixture between these two arch rivals. Having beaten Trefil away earlier in the season Beaufort looked favourites to secure a double and keep alive their challenge for the league title. It certainly looked that way for three quarters of the match but the home side lost its way in the last quarter . Trefil finished the game in a flourish and might have snatched what seemed an improbable win.

From the kick off Beaufort had Trefil frantically defending their line but a stray pass allowed the visitors to counterattack and from the breakdown Trefil kicked the first of their three first half penalties. Beaufort got one of their own before they scored their first try. Stuart Francis took a clean catch at the line out and from 20 metres Beaufort drove for the line with Ben Harding emerging from a rampant pack to make the touch down .

The second try again came from good line out work . This time scrum half Matthew Burrows was the beneficiary which allowed him to slip his markers to race through for the next score for Dylan Smith to improve with the conversion . Unfortunately, Burrows who was having a fine match had to leave the field through injury as did flanker Jason Taylor which was the start of Beaufort misfortunes

Despite playing mostly on the defensive Trefil refused to buckle under the pressure and managed to keep a fingertip control on the scoreline . They took every opportunity to kick for goal and at half time were chasing a lead of 18 points to 9.

Beaufort restarted the second well and with Smith kicking a drop goal Beaufort stretched this lead further. Then from a tapped penalty Michael White out paced the cover defence to score what seemed to be a good try only for the referee to declare the centre had stepped over the dead ball line. From then on in things started to unravel for the home side . They found themselves heavily penalised giving away possession and surrendering good field position . The visitors also made a tactical change by bringing on veteran and club coach Medlicott and he gave his team a much needed lift to redress Beaufort's dominance

Their cause was helped further within the last quarter when a Beaufort player was given a yellow card, the only one in the match . Trefil now saw a window of opportunity and they made Beaufort pay dearly. A series of penalties awarded by the referrer kept Beaufort desperately defending their territory. Eventually superiority in numbers gave Trefil the breakthrough with a well worked try. . They followed it up with another in a pulsating last five minutes of play as Beaufort failed to rally and keep cool heads. The conversion drew the score level just before the final whistle to end an enthralling encounter.

Beaufort will not be happy with the way they ended this match. They had the lion share of possession and should have nailed victory in the first half . Trefil will be content with a draw and in knowledge they have dented Beaufort chances of the league title.

Beaufort star man on the day was Stuart Francis with coach Medlicott getting the honours for Trefil

Next week Beaufort are at home to Aberbeeg