Newport finish season on a low

1:49pm Monday 5th May 2008

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Llandovery 36

Newport 0

The Black and Ambers were nothing short of a shambles in going down to relegation-threatened Llan-dovery by six tries to nil at Church Bank, writes Huw S Thomas.

The Drovers needed to win this game to secure Premiership survival and they did it at a canter against a listless, tired and ill-disciplined Newport side.

The win completed a rare double for Llandovery, who had beaten Newport 6-3 at Rodney Parade in the first game of the season back in September.

News of Maesteg's narrow win over Glamorgan Wanderers was insignificant as Llandovery's win took them clear of the Old Parish, who now drop out of the Premiership.

However, Newport coach Ian Hembrow was not present to see Newport's ill-discipline.

It was reflected in both the huge penalty count against them for most of the offences in the rule book, but also the verbal abuse aimed at referee Phil Connett.

To the club's shame, captain and prop Dai Pattison incurred Connett's wrath in the 29th minute when he was red-carded for letting rip with a disgraceful stream of invective at the Hafodyrynys official.

"Disgraceful behaviour which sullied our reputation as well as costing us any chance of winning," concluded an old Newport supporter.

The Black and Ambers were already down 10-0 - tries to wing Ifan Evans and flanker Marc de Marigny - when Pattison was rightly sent off, and from there on it was no contest.

Even with possession the visitors lacked punch and creativity behind the scrum, four passes from Newport hands going directly into touch.

No 8 Richard Dale tried to instil some urgency into the Newport effort but support was as poor as the spirit was lacking, and when wing Viv Jenkins finished off a sweeping move just before the break, Llandovery were clear at 17-0.

Man of the match - Llandovery fly-half Gareth Morgan - ran in a try from the half-way line to secure a bonus point, and things got worse for the visitors when prop Stuart McGuire was carried off with a bad back injury.

More tries from the influential Morgan and from flanker Gareth Williams confirmed the absolute domination of the Drovers.

With a bit more composure they could easily have inflicted on Newport the embarrassment of conceding 50 points.

Llandovery: C Thomas; I Evans, M Jones, J Taffetsauffer (rep S Thomas 71), V Jenkins; G Morgan, (rep G James 69), R Walters (c)(rep T James 75); E Howells, E Phillips (rep A Yelland 75), A Jones (rep G Cunniffe 69), A Davies, H Pugh, M de Marigny (rep D Jones 66), G Bennett (rep S Covington 78), G Williams.

Scorers: Tries - G Morgan (2), I Evans, M de Marigny, V Jenkins, G Williams; cons: G Morgan (3).

Newport: M Burke; N Williams, W Kershaw-Naylor (rep C Young 58), S Williams, M Poole, D Griffiths (rep M Hook 51), A Quick (rep M Thomas 66); D Pattison (c), M Leaman (rep M Catris 66), S McGuire (rep D Evans 58), M Workman, M Veater (rep A Jones 66), R Field (rep I Evans 33), R Dale, T Organ.

Referee: P Connett (Hafodyrynys).