PWLLHELI made a flying start to their new Division One North campaign as they registered an emphatic 50-0 home win over Bethesda, although the visitors were stauncher opponents than the final scoreline suggested.

Bethesda have key players to return to the fray, and they will only get better, whilst Pwllheli’s now stable squad will acknowledge that there is work needed if they are to sustain a challenge for league honours this season.

Rain had saturated the pitch, but fortunately the deluge stopped shortly after kick off, and given the poor weather the Club was delighted to have a sizeable crowd watching the game.

The opening minutes saw some scrappy play, with the greasy wet ball leading to a series of knock-ons.

Bethesda kept the ball tight and rarely released their backs, but whenever Pwllheli’s backs got the ball they looked threatening.

Twice they seemed to have broken the visitors’ cover, but on each occasion the final pass was spilt.

The home side had the better kicking game and 18 minutes in a kick and chase trapped the Bethesda cover and Pwllheli were awarded a scrum. Having the nudge in the set-piece, Pwllheli captain and scrum half Nick Butterworth saw the gap and dashed over to score under the posts - and he then added conversion.

Bethesda’s heads did not drop and again they challenged up front, but were lacking cutting edge against a well-drilled defence.

Leading 7-0 at the interval, Pwllheli began the second period with a try blitz.

After just four minutes second row Carron Jones charged down a clearance kick for a unconverted try.

Three minutes later, wing Robin Hughes Jones took advantage of some slick speedy passing to beat the despairing cover and touch down - but again the kick drifted wide of the posts.

With new Kiwi fly half Kalim Kelemete orchestrating matters, Butterworth then scored his side’s bonus point try, and his conversion put his side 29-0 ahead.

The rampage continued as flanker Dafydd Anwyl was put clear, and he outpaced the defence for the fifth try.

Pwllheli brought on Harri Roberts to replace young flanker Ifan Owen, who was outstanding, and Kelemete was replaced by the versatile Mathew Butterworth.

The changes worked and centre John Pugh latched onto a dropped pass to outpace the cover to score under the posts, with Butterworth adding two points.

Bethesda battled back, but despite countless thrusts by their heavyweight pack they could not penetrate Pwllheli’s stout defence.

When Pwllheli broke from deep, some clever inter-passing outflanked Betheda’s retreating players and John Pugh crashed over, before converting his own try.

Number eight Tom Parry scored his side’s eighth and final try, and he too converted his own touch down to complete the scoring,

Pwlheli will look to maintain momentum away at Nant Conwy on Saturday.