Rhydfelin - 24

A POOR first 40 minutes cost Abergavenny the game in their away encounter with Rhydfelin on the weekend, and subsequently leaves the claret and ambers still stranded at the bottom end of the Division Two East table striving to secure their first win of the season.

"It was a very disappointing first-half, but I think we made amends in the second, to the point that we would have won the game if it had gone on for another ten minutes," revealed coach Gary Lawrence after Aber made a spirited comeback from going three tries down to coming within an unconverted try's distance of levelling the match.

"Right from the first whistle, we were loose in defence. We kicked poorly, and they were the more clinical outfit on the day.

"In fact, two of their tries came from counter-attack moves, and the other two were as a result of Rhydfelin hacking the ball the length of the field and scoring.

"However, we should have kept them at bay, and it didn't help our situation that we had a number of penalty opportunities inside their 22 that we simply wasted."

After conceding three tries to nothing in the way of reply, Aber's Stuart Davies offered a spark of hope on which the claret and ambers could build when he crossed to make it 19-5 going into the interval.

For the last 40, it was a different Aber who took to the park, as Gareth Williams crossed for Steve Lang to convert, followed by Stuart Davies's second of the day, and another conversion by Lang.

Unfortunately for the Bailey Park side, Rhydfelin also bagged an unconverted try of their own in the second-half, to leave Aber chasing a lead that proved unassailable as the clock ticked down and sounded the death knell on what could have, should have, and would have been a victory for Aber if they played in the first-half like they performed in the second.

Lawrence added, "It's a loss, but it's not a massive loss, and we're all well aware of what we have to do to rectify out mistakes ahead of this Saturday's fixture with Mountain Ash.

"It was pleasing to see us keep our heads up after going so far behind, and staging a much better performance in the second-half.

"I would also like to give a special mention to new signing and native South African Jesse Nowers who had an outstanding game. He carried the ball and offloaded well, and is a very exciting prospect for the whole club.

"All said and done, it's still early days, and although this is our second consecutive loss, I'm sure that our first win is only a game away."

This Saturday Abergavenny play Mountain Ash at Bailey Park with a 2.30pm kick-off.