DOLGELLAU remain top of Division Two West following a richly deserved 14-9 victory against second-placed Llangefni, although they had to survive the last nervous minutes of this encounter with only 13 players, which they did by the skin of their teeth, as the visitors probed continuously to achieve an equalising try.

Dolgellau started brightly and were threatening early on, but they failed to breach the gain line often enough to trouble the visitors’ defence, and it was Llangefni who went ahead after 12 minutes, with Owain Thomas slotting a penalty from in front of the posts.

Dolgellau defended well too, and centre Dylan Evans added a try-saving tackle to his name, to keep the visitors at bay.

Prop Dan Brazier pulled Dolgellau level after half an hour, and in the closing stages, centre Gareth Hughes came close to scoring. Dolgellau were awarded a penalty and Brazier slotted over his second penalty goal to give the home team a slender 6-3 lead at the half-time interval.

The second half was just as keenly contested as the first, but Dolgellau edged further ahead after quarter of an hour thanks to Brazier’s third penalty goal.

Dolgellau were dominating by now and 10 minutes later they scored the only try of the match, as their forwards drove on from a penalty, and replacement hooker Geraint Evans surged over. The referee was unsighted, but the ball was worked to second row Rhys Roberts to be awared with the touchdown to give the home side some breathing space, with the score 14-3.

Llangefni, with stand-off Sior Grieves now orchestrating co-ordinated attacks with his tight forwards, clawed their way back, however, and full back Owain Thomas put over two penalties to make it 14-9 and set up a nail biting last 10 minutes.

As the tension mounted, Dolgellau lost flanker, Dylan Llewelyn and skipper, Dewi Thomas to yellow cards, but Llangefni lacked the poise to make their superior numbers count and Dolgellau held on for a memorable victory at the Marian.

• BALA fell just short in their Division One North encounter at Mold as the home side held firm to record a 17-13 triumph. Talisman Rhydian Jones scored all of Bala’s points, with a try, conversion and two penalties, but the visitors narrowly slipped to their third league defeat.