News

(Report gratefully received from Eifion Harding (Caernarfon RFC)).

Christmas cheer was evident amongst the Dôl Ddafydd faithful as the home side dominated all facets of play to record only their second league win of the season  against a Colwyn Bay side, sadly low on confidence.

The pattern for the game in general was set from the opening minute as a smart break by winger Elis Jones put Bethesda on the front foot and on the following sixth phase of possession, stand off Gethin Long ran in to open the scoring.

With 10 minutes played, Bay did well to prevent a grounding but were undone from the ensuing scrum as Arwyn Griffith maintained control to ground at the base of the onward rushing pack. Long added the conversion to extend the lead.

Colwyn Bay rallied well for a period, with young standoff Oscar Astbury placing the ball behind  Bethesda's onward rushing backline and Number 8, Lloyd Jones threatening more than most with ball in hand. However Bethesda opted to keep the scoreboard ticking over and extended the gap to more than two converted tries when Gethin Long slotted a penalty mid way through the half.

On their next foray, good work by centre  Huw Williams brought Pesda into the danger zone and second row Dylan Owen, who remained lively throughout, charged in determined fashion to ground beyond the whitewash together with enabling Gethin Long to slot the conversion.

Prop Krystin Yeomans carried well for the Bay but possession could not be retained for long enough to trouble the quarrymen. In contrast, another telling charge by Bethesda saw Gethin Long twice involved, the latter seeing him cross to score his second of the afternoon. Finally before the interval, stolen possession, as Colwyn Bay attempted to play out of defence, was spun wide to create enough space for Elis Jones to score and bring the half to a close with Bethesda 32 points to the good.

It took eight minutes to add to the total with a good team move seeing the ball move via the whole backline, thus enabling Elis Jones to collect his brace of tries for the afternoon. Arwyn Griffith did likewise when he took a quick tap penalty from the base of the often infringing Bay scrum to charge over, again affording Long the conversion. Bethesda props Paul Thomas and Jack Owens were busy and dependant with Owens being driven over by the pack to notch the eighth try of the afternoon with Long again adding the extras.

Colwyn Bay rallied in search of a fully deserved consolation try with deputy scrum half Paul Thompson instrumental in drawing players on to the ball. However, their best effort was held up just short. In contrast, luck favoured Bethesda when a speculative chip through saw the chase won by Gethin Long to cpmplete his hat trick.

With injury reducing Bay's numbers for the final five minutes a ball that squirmed  out of a scrum close to their line saw Pesda's Arwyn Griffith being first to react, collecting and charging over as the light was fading. Long added to his impressive individual points tally, notching 28 when slotting the final conversion.

Bethesda will take heart from this performance and will be targeting at least one other 2017 win from the two upcoming fixtures whereas Colwyn Bay need to quickly regroup to ensure that the gap at the bottom of the table does not become insurmountable.