ABERGAVENNY welcomed Deri to Bailey park for a first ever meeting in the league and what a match it turned out to be with a nearly-beaten Aber snatching victory in the dying minutes.

Aber’s side showed several changes from the previous week with Jay Adams and Matt Charles joining Ieuan James in the front row. Luke Williams and Will Evans slotted into second row, Josh Davies returned from injury at number eight, flanked by Rhys Dawe and Dan Beavan.

Rhob Connick teamed up with Rhod Webster at half-back. Matt Sevenoaks formed a new centre partnership with Dan Smith, and Garin Price, and Josh Parr and Antony Squires made up the back three.

The game started at a frantic pace with the big physical away side setting their stall out early and putting the home side under pressure from the start.

The home side weathered the storm and slowly worked their way into the game managing to keep the ball for a period of time and asking the away side to work hard in defence.

Despite a long period of pressure Aber’s only reward was a penalty by Rhod Webster.

This score seemed to lift the away side and there now followed a long period of continuous pressure as Deri kept the ball exceptionally well and forced Abergavenny to defend for their lives. However, they did eventually get a breakthrough with a well struck penalty followed by a converted try and on the stroke of half-time another penalty to give Deri a well deserved 3-13 lead.

The second-half started very much in the same vein as the first ended with Deri camped in the homeside’s half and putting Aber under long periods of pressure which eventually resulted in an unconverted try to give the away side a 18 -3 lead going into the last quarter of the game .

Abergavenny rang the changes with Rob Lothian and Nathan Harris coming on to stabilise a creaking scrum. Nathan Thomas, Nicky Phippins and Lewis Evans also entered the fray and the home side suddenly started to play the type of high tempo rugby that the home supporters are used to.

It was now the turn of Deri to defend as Aber started to up the pace of the game with Rhys Dawe and Dan Smith making inroads with strong carries up the center of the park.

Eventually after several missed chances the home side scored after a strong forward drive was finished of by number eight Josh Davies and converted by Webster.

Abergavenny were now on fire and attacked the Deri side at every opportunity and looked odds on to score at any time but little mistakes and dogged defence frustrated the home team and supporters.

Eventually the breakthrough came. The ball went through several pairs of hands before Matty Sevenoaks received it on the 22 and showed a clean pair of heels to score close to the posts for Rhod Webster to convert and bring Aber back to within one point of the visitors.

With the game in its dying seconds Aber once again attacked in earnest and when Deri fell foul of the referee he awarded the home side a penalty 30 metres out in front of the posts which Webster calmly slotted through the uprights to put Aber in the lead for the first time.

From the restart all Abergavenny had to do was keep the ball for the last minute of the game which they managed easily to claim a well deserved victory from a match where many people had written off their chances .

Abergavenny Quins played their fourth game off the season against a young well drilled Gwernyfed side and despite two excellent tries from Kevin Palmer and Lloyd Holder, and two successful kicks from Kerion Skinner they had to conceive defeat, 17-28.

Next week Abergavenny entertain New Panteg in the Welsh cup. Kick-off is at 2.30pm so why not pop along and support the side.