Fixture

Dolgellau Youth progress to the semi final of the WRU National Plate competition following a hard fought win against premiership club Bargoed Youth on the Marian this Saturday.

It wasn't the most open of games with the visitors electing to use their sizeable forwards to take the ball up the park and release their narrow side backs.  The Dolgellau boys put in a huge defensive shift, thwarting any advance by Bargoed.  In contrast Dolgellau varied their own attacking opportunities to test the visitors and probe for any weakness in the visitors defence. 

The first points came through the boot of Gwion Jones, who took a penalty from the ten metre line after fifteen minutes, to put Dolgellau up by three.  

Bargoed stuck with their game plan and redoubled their efforts, taking the ball up and playing phases for the remainder of the first half.  Dolgellau were equal to the challenge until Bargoed finally managed to gain some momentum just before half time.  This resulted in an unconverted try out right for the visitors, who went into the interval leading by two points at 3:5.

Dolgellau took the game to Bargoed in the second half and continued to look for chinks in the visitors defensive line.  The game started to open up and the miss matches out wide started to appear.  Jake Hinge was unlucky not to score a try from deep in the Dolgellau half.  Gathering a loose kick, he picked up and outpaced the chasing visitors, with only a front row to beat, the ref blew up for a penalty from an off the ball incident.  Nevertheless, Dolgellau were in the ascendancy and  some fine interplay put Bargoed onto the back foot.  With fifteen minutes to go, Dolgellau's Celt Lewis crossed for an unconverted try to regain the lead 8:5.

Dolgellau continued to take the game to Bargoed and tried to force the visitors to play out the remaining time in their own half.  A series of penalties gave the visitors territory and some belief.  They were awarded a penalty with the last play of the game.  An away draw with equal try count and penalties, would see Bargoed through to the next round under competition rules.  Bargoed's kick brushed the outside of the post, the ball was gathered and made dead to see Dolgellau run out victors.

The man of the match for Dolgellau went to Lewis Jones at scrum half.  

It was particularly pleasing to see a large crowd supporting both teams.  It was a tense and enthralling game of rugby form first to final whistle. We were treated to a good a game of rugby as you could hope to see.  Well done boys great effort on and off the ball.