Fixture

On a bright but breezy day last Saturday Barry entertained local rivals Llantwit Major in a league fixture which pitted the sides lying 2nd and 3rd in the table.Although the final score of 27 points to 7 in Barry,s favour would seem to be a comfortable win, it was far from that, and in reality could have gone either way as both sides had to defend for long periods throughout the game.
It could not have started better for the home side as from the kick off they were camped near the line and were unlucky not to be awarded a try, the referee being unsighted. However from a resultant penalty Scott gave Barry the lead.A counter attack from the restart saw Scott chip ahead with White regaining the ball to find Perry on hand to cross with Scott adding the extras.
A 10-0 lead after 7mins, the crowd were perhaps expecting a comfortable win. However such was the endeavour of both sides coupled with handling errors and difficult lineout conditions, that it would be another 50 mins before the next point was scored.
The bulkier Llantwit pack were asking questions of the Barry eight as they pressed to reduce the deficit.One such drive took them some 50metres toward the line but good defensive work saved the day and the danger was cleared.
The home pack were getting near parity at scrum time, and a take against the head was to give Barry the chance to increase the lead from a Llantwit infringement. From a difficult position and with the breeze stronger, Scott was unsuccessful.
The visitors always looked dangerous from loose play with the scrum half orchestrating events and keeping Barry on their toes.
For all their advantage in terms of possession and territory allied to effective defence, Barry had been unable to add to their early score, and as half time came the visitors would have been well pleased to only be ten points adrift with the wind and slope in their favour to come in the second half.
Deciding that attack was the best form of defence Barry opened the half aggressively and fine breaks by both Evans and Lee took Barry to the opposition line where they were awarded a penalty which was converted by Scott.
The visitors reaction was immediate, as they made their way into home territory and had it not been for some poor handling and good defence would have scored.That pressure continued to build and Barry were forced to concede a raft of penalties and from a poor half clearance the visitors counter attacked with the home defence out of position to score a well worked try which when converted cut the deficit to 6 points.
Somehow Barry held out for the next ten minutes as the visitors piled on more pressure and as the game neared it's final minutes, O'Suulivan was first to react to a loose ball to race 60yds for a try wide out which Scott converted to take Barry two scores clear. What a relief for the home supporters!
Their was obvious relief for the Barry team as they gained a new lease of life and went on the attack again.
Camped in visitors territory Barry launched one final attack which saw the ball spread wide for Perry to cross and Scott to convert to leave the final score at 27 points to 7.
Barry will not have many harder games than this and it is a credit to their commitment and fitness and also that of the coaching team that they can grind out a win when required.

Team: Rhidian Mepham; Danny Ryan, Tom Perry, Ethan Dicks, Brad White; Einan Scott, Tom Lee; Alyn Evans, Sion Vidal, James Hollister; Martin Tanner (c), Jamie Oaten; Jack Giddings, Luke O'Sullivan, Hywel Jones
Subs: Glyn Pirso, Jake Goodfellow, Owain Poole, Joe Gallivan, Ashley Adams