NEWCASTLE Emlyn will hold the Christmas number one spot in Division One West after they returned to the top of the tree with a solid 22-16 win over Gorseinon last weekend.

This game though was far more competitive than when the two clubs met in the first game of the season, as the visitors showed that their recent results were no fluke. Indeed, at half-time Gorseinon were fully deserving their two point lead, and on another day it could have been considerably more.

After only two minutes Emlyn looked to move the ball from inside their own 22 area, only for a pass to go astray, and at the subsequent ruck they were penalised for not releasing. Outside half Liam Popham converted a relatively simple penalty kick.

From the restart, Emlyn started to exert pressure on the visitors’ line, but Dan Davies was unable to convert a penalty attempt from some 30 metres out. Minutes later, a series of controlled drives saw flanker Callum Evans cross the line, only for him to lose the ball when tackled.

The next 20 minutes belonged to the visitors as they ran at the hosts at every opportunity, and fullback Andrew Steel proved a real handful with his strong runs.

The Emlyn defence on occasions left a lot to be desired as time and again they missed the first tackle, and it was left to the cover defence to halt the Gorseinon attacks.

Inevitably, such last-ditch defending often concedes penalties, and Popham extended their lead with another well-struck penalty kick.

It was against the run of play that Emlyn scrum half Dafydd Evans intercepted a pass, and he sprinted 60 metres for a fine individual try, converted by Dan Davies.

Scrum half Evans had a fine match, and his box kicking was exemplary, and time and again he drove Gorseinon back into their own half.

Gorseinon continued to attack the Emlyn defensive line, and Popham regained the lead with another penalty kick - but at the end of the first half, Emlyn moved the ball wide, only for winger Llyr Jones to drop the ball with the line at his mercy.

The second half began very positively, however, with a superb home try. Centre Andrew Owens ran an excellent straight line, bursting through would-be tacklers, and when he was brought to ground, he managed to turn in the tackle and found No 8 Brynmor Jones in support.

He passed back, and the big back rower side-stepped the full back to sprint some 30 metres to go over by the post, for Davies to then convert.

Emlyn proceeded to dominate, but reliable finishers in prop Emrys Davies, second row Osian Davies and flying winger Llyr Jones all dropped what would have been try scoring passes.

Emlyn did extend their lead when Dan Davies converted a penalty kick, but despite the urgings of man of the match Dafydd Evans, Emlyn continued to struggle to cross the Gorseinon line.

Powerful carries by Elliot Rees and Brynmor Jones more often than not, came to nothing until the 35th minute when an excellent series of drives saw the ball moved wide, and Teifion Davies timed his pass for winger Dan Davies to cross for Emlyn’s third try in the corner.

The visitors laid siege to the Emlyn line, and with the home defence basically looking for an interception, they missed the ball and Gorseinon centre Luke Cross strolled over for a try, converted by Popham, to earn a deserved losing bonus point.