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Division Three East

Tillery fended off a last-ditch fight back by the league leaders in a nail-biting frantic finale to deservedly win a hard-fought encounter. Wing Lloyd Warne nearly brought Senghenydd at least a draw with a neat chip and chase. But he failed to ground the ball properly and Lee Meredith rescued his side at the resultant scrum with a pick up at the back to secure the victory.

The Saints’ cause was not helped by the dismissal of their full back early in the second half, but Tillery were the better side before and after that incident and really should have put the game well beyond the visitors before those nervous final moments.

An excellent crowd welcomed both sides who came into the game in fine form. Senghenydd showed some early scrummaging power but Tillery nullified that after a while and started to get the upper hand in the loose exchanges.

Haile put the Green & Whites ahead with a neat penalty, and although the Saints were reduced to 14 men when their blindside flanker was sinbinned for tackling Greg Lane in the air, outside half Dean Watkins levelled matters for them before hobbling off with what seemed to be a hamstring pull.

Tillery were enjoying the better of the territory with Haile and Lane nearly breaching the visitors' defence and eventually the pressure told as Edwards switched the ball wide right with a long looping pass for Kyle Griffiths to bulldoze his way over in the corner.

Warne narrowed the gap with a second penalty for the Saints just on the interval as Tillery’s Dafydd Jones became the second player to see yellow for a brief dust up.

HT: 8-6

Tillery started the second half on the offensive forcing Senghenydd back and a neat kick to the corner fooled the visitors’ full back who fell over in trying the gather the bouncing ball. Perhaps in frustration he lashed out with a number of stupid punches as Tillery sought to recover the ball for the line out, giving the referee no real option other than to send him off.

The game was now being played almost totally in the visitors' half but Tillery missed chances to pull away as Haile missed a penalty and twice Chris Stevens was hauled down short of the line following some excellent back play by the home side.

The home forwards were also putting pressure on but they were denied when the official spotted an infringement at an attacking 5-metre scrum. However, the dominance paid dividends when Chris Stevens landed a 45 metre penalty as Saints open side flanker killed the ball deliberately.

With less than ten minutes remaining, the Saints at last got their first foothold in Tillery’s 22 since the interval, but excellent defence kept them at bay. Just though when the danger seemed to have passed, the Saints managed to work the ball wide for Warne to chip behind the Tillery defence. The rangy wing won the foot race as the home defenders were forced to turn but was unable to touch down, pushing the ball over the dead ball line.

Still the danger was not over as for once the visiting eight managed to get some weight on at the scrum but replacement Lee Meredith at No 8 picked up well to drive his team away from the line and Tillery worked the ball away for the well-merited win.

Tillery M o M - Greg Lane

November 12 2011

TILLERY SHOW TRUE COLOURS

IN BATTLING WIN

Abertillery (8) 11 Senghenydd (6) 6

Division Three East

Latest Table

Results - 12 November 2011