LLANELLI  12 LLANDOVERY 54

Llandovery put in a sparkling second half performance to add five tries to their three in the first half, so securing a top two spot in the West Conference and a Cup semi final place writes Huw S Thomas.

The Drovers followed up their 39-12 win at Church Bank to complete a comfortable double with Aaron Warren grabbing four tries out on the left wing and fly half Kristian Jones scoring a try and seven conversions for a personal haul of 19 points.

They have a tricky game against Bridgend this Friday night, then meet Aberavon on November 27 in a game that promises to be a shoot out for top spot.

As the table stands Llandovery have scored more points (239) than any other team in the West Conference and conceded the fewest number of points (99).

The latest comprehensive win condemned poor Llanelli to their eighth straight defeat of the season.

Llanelli started promisingly enough, edging into a two tries to one lead but once the Drovers got their head in front, they had far too much pace and invention to record their biggest ever win over their regional rivals.

Llandovery defence coach Lloyd Phillips acknowledged his team’s sluggish start but could not criticise the second half performance when the Drovers racked up 35 unanswered points.”

“We were off our game early on but a half time pep talk sorted it out and we scored some lovely tries for a decisive victory.”

Llanelli coach Paul Fisher bemoaned the way his side caved in after the break.

“We start games promisingly – as we did here – and we were ahead at the end of the first quarter but the extra know how of the Llandovery forwards and their pace behind did for us.”

“We soldier on and have a couple of games left against Swansea and the Quins to give us hopeful encouragement for the Premiership league season.”

Early pressure was Llandovery’s and skipper, scrum half Lee Rees was all through under the posts but it mattered little as the lanky Warren soon went over wide out.

Llanelli’s reply was immediate, prop Dylan Lawley forcing his way over from close range, fly half Ioan Hughes converting and they went further ahead when a blind side probe let wing Harrison Button finishing off well in the corner,

Button came near to another try in a free flowing game but the Drovers drew level when wing Ashley Evans finished off a multi handling move with a try converted by fly half Kistian Jones.

There was little between the two sides at this juncture and a run from flanker Jacob Lewis tested Llandovery’s cover defence to the full.

Jones and lock Joe Powell – playing his first premiership game of the season –  all but fashioned a Llandovery try before full back Lawrence Thomas ended another sweeping attack, Jones converting for a 19-12 lead interval lead to the Drovers.

Warren secured the bonus point, Jones converting from wide out as the Drovers stepped up the pace, Warren soon claiming his hat trick.

The in-form Warren got his fourth try of the day and when Llanelli replacement Jack Solomon was yellow carded, replacement hooker Ricky Guest burrowed over for Llandovery.

Poor Llanelli were then finished off with Jones racing in on an interception from 50 metres and nailing his seventh conversion for a personal haul of 19 points.

In a fine team performance, hooker Craig Thomas, the Dallavalle brothers – prop Dino and lock Marco – No 8 Lloyd Pike and Joe Powell stood out up front whilst behind the scrum flying wing Aaron Warren and fly half Kristian Jones accounted for 39 of Llandovery’s 54 points.