Fixture

Barry finally returned to action following numerous postponements with matches falling to inclement weather with league leaders St Peters their visitors.

The visiting side has enjoyed a fine first half of the season and showcased their credentials by putting Barry on the back foot straight from the kick off, utilising their powerful pack and organised set play.  The pressure on the Barry line was relieved however by some determined home tackling and the boot of fly-half Einan Scott.

Instead Barry began to grew into the contest and were wresting control from the visitors when a loose pass was intercepted by the hooker who raced away to score under the posts for a converted score.

Stung, the hosts tried to respond but with a scrum under pressure and lottery at the line-out it was St Peters instead who went further ahead with a penalty kick.

Barry were further rocked by the loss of veteran Hywel Jones who had to go off injured, with James Hadfield his replacement.

The home side was not gaining any favours from the official as they were repeatedly penalised in the tight, much to the bemusement of the spectators and players alike.  St Peters, however, were in no mood to let up as they utilised the penalty count to set up drive after drive towards the Barry line, which eventually relented as they crossed in the corner for another converted try.

At half time the game seemed over with St Peters 17-0 to the good.

It will require a fight-back of monumental proportions and perhaps sensing that they have nothing to lose, Barry came out in the second half all guns blazing, immediately putting the Rocks under pressure.

As the official’s whistle dominated early proceedings the game began to break down which suited the Barry back row of Luke O’Sullivan, Hadfield and the impressive Harry Moyle.

Another St Peters indiscretion was punished by Kyle Barros’ unerring boot to reduce the deficit to fourteen points.

The Barry loose forwards were now begin to dominate proceedings as they outworked their opposition.  Half backs Tom Lee and Scott were beginning to dictate play and Tomos Perry gave the hosts some much needed go-forward.

Barry were finally rewarded when some enterprising play in the loose saw O’Sullivan crash over in the corner.  Barros converted from a seemingly impossible angle to bring the hosts within one score of the league leaders.

Rocked, St Peters tried to rally but found their domination in the scrum neutralised with a re-organised Barry pack, and the momentum has truly swung in the home side’s favour.

Indeed, it was another impressive passage of play, with O’Sullivan combining with Alyn Evans, all the while well supported by forwards and backs alike, ending with O’Sullivan crossing for a second score.

Barros’ conversion from distance sailed wide but there were now only two points in it.  Game on.

It was St Peters’ turn to earn the wrath of the official in the second half and more pressure by the Barry back row forced them to concede a kickable opportunity in their own half.  Barros was never going to turn down the chance and with his kick true Barry are now one point ahead with just ten minutes to go.

St Peters finally awoke from the slumber and pressed forward for a score that would win them the game.  Straight from kick-off, they turned the ball over, and when a well-aimed grubber kick caused panic in the Barry defence, they recycled the ball calmly until the home side ran out of numbers for the Rocks to score their third try out wide.

The conversion was unsuccessful leaving the visitors 22-18 ahead in the dying embers of the contest.

Undeterred, Barry put one last effort to assault the St Peters line.  The tight forwards gained the hard yards required to move the attack in the red zone, and when the visitors fell foul of the whistle once again, a kick to the corner was the obvious option.

After initially disrupting the line-out, the Rocks conceded another penalty from the resulting passage of play, and Barry were given one last life-line in the last play of the game.

This time there was no mistake from Evans as he found his man.  The ball was successfully recycled as the entire Barry side joined the driving maul for one last bid to the line.

The defence could not offer any answer as Evans emerged from the sea of bodies to ground the try, completing a comeback that at the interval seemed unlikely to say the least.

The missed conversion would only trouble the scorer’s notebook as Barry emerged 23-22 winners in a bruising contest that delighted players, management and supporters alike.

This was a superb way for the side to finish 2018 with their most impressive win to date. 

Barry will hope to continue this momentum when they visit Abercwmboi next weekend.  Bus leaves the club at 12.30pm.

Lottery numbers were 5, 6, 11 & 18.  No winners so the jackpot rolls onto £3,350.

Team:  Barros; Ryan, Perry ©, T Scott, Robertson; E Scott, Lee; Evans, Davies, Hollister; Devine, Miles; Moyle, O’Sullivan, H Jones

Replacements:  Vidal (for Davies), Hadfield (for H Jones)

Subs not used: Bowditch, W Jones, Provis