ABERYSTWYTH’s highly encouraging campaign continued in the Swalec Division One West as they emerged as 31-24 winners at Crymych in a very entertaining game between two well-drilled sides.

The Preseli men, who have appointed Neil Machin as their new coach, will have been disappointed by their derby defeat, but at least they had the consolation of two bonus points for scoring four tries, and also being within seven points of the opposition.

The conditions at Parc Lloyd Thomas were near perfect for fast, open rugby in this derby encounter, and that was exactly what the spectators were treated to.

Prior to the game the visitors were one position ahead of Crymych, with a two point advantage and a game in hand.

The hosts made their intentions clear from the outset and put a lot of pressure on Aber. Winning most of the set-pieces and efficient in recycling, Crymych won the lion’s share of the ball to launch wave after wave of attacks on the Aber line.

In fact, for the first 30 minutes they were camped firmly in the visitors’ half.

The glut of possession, however, made them a little too confident and Aber speed merchant, Adam Carvell, very much against the run of play, was able to snatch an interception to race 50 metres to score under the posts. Llyr Thomas converted.

Crymych had three kicks at goal in the opening half hour, but Rhys Davies failed to convert any of these opportunities.

Their first try came from a drive at a lineout near the Aber line, when hooker Ifan Phillips went over, and outside half Davies converted to level the scores at 7-7.

Aber fought back to win a penalty 35 metres out, and from a five-metre lineout they drove over the line for Paul Stubbs to touch down, with Thomas converting to give Aber a 7-14 advantage.

The visitors’ tails were up now as they pressed hard on the Crymych line. They were so dominant in the scrums that the home side had no answer to their power.After a series of penalties under the home side’s posts, Aber were finally awarded a penalty try, which Thomas converted for a 7-21 half time lead.

Early in the second half good pressure from Aber saw them gain ground and force more scrummages near the Crymych line.Again the home side’s scrum, destroyed by the Aberystwyth eight, were forced to concede a number of penalties, before the referee finally awarded Aber a second penalty try.Thomas converted and Aber were 7-28 ahead, with maximum bonus points in the bag.

It was clear that Crymych had changed their tactics for the second half as they resorted to chip kicks over the Aber backs or longer kicks to put full-back Thomas under pressure.He dealt with these very efficiently, but the home side’s new approach was paying dividends nevertheless, and from one such kick the home side scored their second try when centre Phillips dribbled over the line to score.

The conversion attempt was missed but they were now getting back into the game, and at 12-28 they pressed hard.

They worked their way upfield again using high kicks to threaten Aber’s line.

From one perfectly placed kick from No 10 Davies to the corner, winger Gethin Gibby plucked the ball out of the air to score a try wide out. Davies converted to bring the score to 19-28, and Crymych sensed an opportunity to win the game.

Aber made a rare foray into the home half to earn a penalty, which Thomas converted to increase the lead to 19-31.

The home side responded with more attacks and put the visitors under considerable pressure. This situation was as much the result of Aber’s loss of composure and awareness as it was Crymych’s efforts.

Rather than resorting to safe, controlled defence for the final minutes, the visitors tried too often to run or kick their way out of trouble when closing the game down and retaining possession with forward drives and rucks would have been better.

They paid the price as a Crymych counter attack from turnover ball saw Gibby score his second try. The conversion was missed, but they had earned a losing bonus point to close the scoring at 24-31.

This was an excellent win against hard, well prepared opposition. Until they resorted to chip kicks Crymych had found the Aberystwyth defence impenetrable.

The visitors’ tackling was excellent in this match, their scrummaging was strong and well controlled and they competed well in the lineouts and loose play.

It would be difficult and unfair to single out any one Aberystwyth player who gave more than his team-mates in this match and the coaches, Craig Turner, Andrew Barlow and Ifan Thomas, can take a lot of credit for the team’s performance.

High-flying Aberystwyth have now consolidated third place in Division One West with 30 points, winning six games out of eight - and scoring 30 tries so far.