Pontypool......59 Blackwood....11

DIVISION One leaders Pontypool put behind them last weekend's defeat at Newbridge to run out convincing 59-11 winners against Blackwood at the park.

Mark Jones returned to skipper the home side after a seven-week absence with an elbow injury but only managed two minutes play before being sin-binned, Blackwood full back Dean Brown kicking the resultant penalty.

This stung the hosts into retaliation and scrum half Nicky Lloyd crossed under the posts after good work from centre Ben Jeffries, Byron Hayward converting.

Pooler dominated at the lineout and following good work from second row Richard Hunt the ball was fed along the back line with centre David Smith crashed over to touch down.

Powerhouse centre Jeffries then crossed in a copycat move as he left all in his wake to score under the posts, Hayward converting to notch his 2,000th career point.

The ever-reliable outside half later added his 200th point of the season, kicking a straightforward penalty sandwiched inbetween a Dean Brown penalty for the visitors and a sin-binning for home side flanker Cae Treharne.

The game was over as a contest by the interval with wing Mason Daniel and full back Jason Rowles crossing, Hayward keeping his 100 per cent record on the night by converting both, to give Pooler a 38-6 lead at the break.

After ringing the changes at the interval, Del Cross replacing Kuli Faletau in the second row and prop Owen Price coming on for Stuart Meddick, the home side continued in the same vein with Price making an almost immediate impact, crossing after good forward play from the pack, Hayward converting.

Visiting full back Dean Brown scored a consolation try as he broke away from his own half to leave all defenders trailing in his wake to cross in the corner.

To make matters worse for Blackwood, flanker David Allman was sin-binned during the last quarter, enabling the powerful home pack to push home their advantage and score two further tries from prop Alun Phillips and flanker Sam Waldron, the latter at the death, both predictably converted by Hayward in an immaculate display of goal kicking.

Pontypool - J Rowles (replaced 70 S Lawrence); J Griffin, B Jeffries, D Smith, N Daniel (replaced 75 by J Williams); B Hayward, N Lloyd (replaced 70 N Hope); A Phillips, L Jones (replaced 59 C Thomas); S Meddick (replaced 40 O Price); K Faletau (replaced 40 D Cross); R Hunt, S Waldron, C Treharne, M Jones (replaced 65 M Tu'itulotu). Scorers for Pontypool: Tries: N Lloyd, D Smith, B Jeffries, N Daniel, J Rowles, O Price, A Phillips, S Waldron; penalty: B Hayward; conversions: B Hayward (8). Blackwood - D Brown, R Potter, S Small, D Sinclair, D Dark, A Sliczny, R Lewis (replaced 40 O Jones); J Price, L Murray, C Kinsey, S Jones (replaced 40 M Lawrence); M Tucker, D Hallman, D Tomsa, J Powell. Blackwood - Tries: D Brown; penalties: D Brown (2).

PICTURE: Pontypool scrum-half Nicky Lloyd gets the ball away