IT WAS a bit like after the Lord Mayor’s show for Ebbw Vale at Eugene Cross Park today.

On Tuesday, the Steelmen had been in devastating form to put Pontypridd to the sword on Sardis Road’s artificial surface.

But this afternoon they lost for the third time in the Principality Premiership this season with a display full of errors.

The visitors got off to a great start and led 8-0 after just seven minutes as the Steelmen failed to fire in the opening stages.

Fly-half Jack Maynard made no mistake with a penalty after Ebbw were penalised for taking down the game’s first scrum.

The next scrum, however, was the complete opposite, the hosts piling on the pressure and forcing referee Dan Jones to punish the Llandovery eight.

But soon after the home side went further behind, though there was an element of good fortune about full-back Lee Rees’ try.

From a scrum on halfway, Maynard sent over a cross-field kick in search of left winger Aaron Warren.

The Drovers speedster managed to deflect the ball away from Ebbw full-back Dan Haymond, regather possession and then find Rees who touched down out wide.

Maynard missed the conversion.

Ebbw finally got their first decent bit of possession 15 minutes in but the visitors were disciplined in defence.

They turned the ball over and scrum-half Rhodri Davies pinned Ebbw back in their own half with a measured kick to the corner.

It also looked as if Davies was taken out with a late cheap shot but the referee took no action.

The home crowd needed a lift and they got one when outside-half Josh Lewis put in a huge hit on centre Rhodri Jones.

However, the Ebbw supporters began to grow increasingly frustrated with the official as the Drovers played close to the edge at the breakdown.

There was more bad news for the hosts when Maynard added another three-pointer to make it 11-0.

A sustained period of possession followed for Ebbw and when Lewis kicked a penalty to the corner there was only one player the throw was going to.

But catch and drive try scoring machine Ronny Kynes wasn’t able to show off his party piece as the lineout went awry.

Llandovery were again the recipients of turnover ball and in no time were in the Ebbw half.

The hosts were caught offside and Maynard extended his side’s lead to 14-0 courtesy of a third three-pointer.

To say frustration was the overwhelming feeling at Eugene Cross Park in the first half would have been an understatement.

Ebbw kicked when they didn’t need to and conceded possession time and time again while the Drovers took full advantage of what came their way.

Maynard rounded off a dream first half for the visitors with a fourth penalty.

That made it 17-0. So, all in all, a nightmare first half for Nigel Davies and his troops, and it could have been even worse if Davies had managed to get to a hack forward before the ball crossed the dead-ball line.

It was a fast and furious start to the second half and Lewis settled the Steelmen on 47 minutes with their first points of the encounter, his penalty finally getting Ebbw on the scoreboard.

There then followed a period of around 15 minutes that is not going to make the highlights reel at the end of the season.

Both sides were guilty of some very average kicking in open play, while Ebbw began the obligatory raft of substitutions, before Drovers skipper Phil Day was forced off through injury.

His team then almost got their second try. The elusive Davies wriggled his way free in a tight spot, set off down the touchline and chipped ahead.

Unfortunately for him, the ball bounced the wrong side of the line and Ebbw survived.

Davies might not have had the luck with him but when the home pack infringed at scrum time, Maynard made them pay, converting a fifth penalty to stretch the lead to 20-3.

There was still plenty of time for a comeback and Ebbw made further changes in a bid to freshen things up.

And they gave themselves a lifeline from a very familiar source.

Given a penalty around 15 metres out, Ebbw had to go for the lineout, and after a successful catch and drive it was that man Kynes who emerged with the ball.

Lewis added the extras to reduce the gap to 20-10.

Sadly for Ebbw, their hopes of a fightback didn’t come to fruition and in the end Llandovery were worthy winners.

Ebbw Vale: D Haymond (W Talbot-Davies 65), C Levesley, N Preece, J Howells, J Rosser (R Gardner 80), J Lewis, C Thomas (B Ellis 49); R Jones (I George 49), J Franchi (N Thomas 70), R Sevenoaks (G Robinson 49), D Hudd (capt), M Williams (J Bartlett 70), J Jacas (E Doyle 54), R Kynes, R Clarke.

Llandovery: L Rees; R Wall (J Parkinson 79), R Smith, R Jones (C Woodall 73), A Warren; J Maynard (J Davies 79), R Davies; D Howells (B Watkins 68), D Hughes (R Williams 80), G Cunniffe (J Kaijaks 68), B Griffiths, P Day (capt) (J Powell 59), S Worrall, S Miles (D Eager 73), R Brooks.

Scorers: Ebbw Vale, Try – R Kynes, Con – J Lewis, Pen – J Lewis

Llandovery, Try – L Rees, Pens – J Maynard (5)

Referee: Dan Jones

Argus star man: Rhodri Davies (Llandovery)