PWLLHELI came through their most attritional and combative match this season to maintain their 100 per cent record in Division One North, with a 31-12 win against battling Llangefni at Bodegroes.

Fortunately, recent heavy rain held off for the match as the club’s stand is temporarily out of commission, due to work on extending the facility and installing seats.

Indeed, a good sized crowd had turned out to support the teams, that were placed first and fourth in Division One North.

It was Pwllheli who started better, and they took the game to the visitors and were camped in Llangefni’s twenty two.

After six minutes, Pwllheli went through the phases and captain Nick Butterworth scythed through to score under the posts, with wing Osian Parry Jones converting.

The visitors remained under threat, but in the 11th minute Pwllheli were caught in possession and Llangefni ripped away the ball to overturn possession and move the ball right. Quick passing put centre Greg Horsman clear to touch down, but the conversion attempt narrowly missed.

Heavy tackles were the norm and no quarter was asked for or given. Llangefni’s burly and experienced pack gradually came to the fore, and they retained possession effectively, but for a few misjudged kicks that let Pwllheli off the hook.

It was perhaps then against the run of play when Pwllheli scored their third try on 20 minutes. Backs and forwards combined well, and wing Robin Hughes Jones was put into space. He took his opportunity well and shrugged off several would-be tackles to cross the whitewash wide out on the left. The conversion missed.

Llangefni were not subdued, and put together an effective combination of passes, before physical scrum half Mark Gray was put clear to beat the cover for a try.

The successful conversion was made by fullback Rhys Hughes to make it 12-12.

The Llyn side kept composure and, despite having limited possession, they were able to conjure a score on 31 minutes.

Once again Pwllheli did well to recycle ruck ball and scrum half Gwilym Parry switched the line of attack for centre Deio Brunelli to score a well taken try. Osian Parry Jones added the extra two points.

Both sides continued to struggle to create clear-cut scoring chances, and half-time came with Pwllheli leading 19-12.

The second period saw Pwllheli secure the try bonus point fourth try, as fly half John Pugh beat the cover to score wide out after only four minutes. Parry Jones also slotted the difficult conversion.

The next 20 minutes saw Llangefni have the ascendancy in terms of possession and territory, but a combination of resilient Pwllheli defence and a lack of a sharp cutting edge had kept them from scoring.

The home side did well at the set scrum, despite the weight disparity. Their back row also did well throughout the game, and their pace secured vital loose ball.

Minutes passed as the visitors went through phase after phase, and they came close to adding to their score, only to be thwarted by well-organised defending.

On 30 minutes the visitors went down to 14 men as a back rower was red-carded.

Pwllheli sucked in the remaining seven Llangefni forwards to create space for fly half John Pugh to score his side’s fifth try.

Pwllheli then absorbed the pressure for the remaining seven minutes, and were relieved to have secured a bonus point win against a strong Llangefni fifteen.

Pwllheli will hope to maintain winning ways away to Bro Ffestiniog on Saturday.

• Pwllheli Seconds meanwhile lost their proud record at Menai Bridge as they were beaten by a solitary point when the home side were awarded a penalty in the last seconds of the match. The Seconds are away to Mold Seconds this Saturday.

Pwllheli’s talented Youth team overcome their opponents, Llangefni Youths at Bodegroes by 32-4, whilst Pwllheli Ladies are away to Llangollen on Sunday.