PWLLHELI have never found matches at Ruthin easy, and their latest encounter was no exception, as the visitors had to battle all the way for a 26-8 win.

Pwllheli again travelled with a much changed team, but in the final analysis they deserved the try bonus win.

The game had to be transferred from the first team pitch, which was waterlogged, to the narrower and shorter second team pitch.The surface was very heavy and muddy, but it was credit to the hosts that the game took place at all.

Both teams deserved some respect for trying to play some expansive rugby, but errors were inevitable given the appalling conditions.

The visitors crossed the whitewash after only four minutes as wing Osian Parry Jones latched on to a neat cross kick by fly half Mathew Parry to score, and added a difficult conversion.

Ruthin were very much up for the contest, and gave no quarter in contact, but the organised Pwllheli defence kept their structure well.

Pwllheli’s second try came on 24 minutes when, winning the ball on half way, their pack kept the ball tight and made ground into the home team’s twenty two.

From a ruck, they released the ball to the backs and fly half Parry saw that Ruthin’s cover defence had come up too quickly, and from his deft grubber kick, winger Robin Hughes Jones won the race for the touchdown.

Once again Parry Jones slotted an excellent conversion to open up a 14-0 lead.

Ruthin staged a tenacious fightback to cut the deficit by three points, via a penalty by fly half Nathan Jones.

Then, in the last play of the first period, they won a line-out 10 metres from the Pwllheli line and drove their second row Arwyn Davies over to make the score 8-14.

The game ebbed and flowed in the second period, but as the half progressed, Pwllheli had cleaner, faster possession and they scored a deserved try by back rower Caron Jones, before Osian Parry Jones’ conversion put his team 13 points clear.

Pwllheli pounded the home defence, but the crucial fourth try did not come until the 36th minute, when centre Ianto Parry used his strength to finish off a good multi phased movement.

On Saturday, Pwllheli travel to Llangefni, the Seconds are at Denbigh and the Youths host Nant Conwy..