PWLLHELI held firm to record a hard-fought 24-20 home win over previously unbeaten Ruthin, to maintain their 100 per cent record in Division One North.

Both sides had started their campaigns with three successive league wins, and it was soon apparent that the visitors would look to their beefy pack and sharp fly half to take the game to Pwllheli.

The scrums were evenly matched, but while the home team’s line-out stuttered, their pack were quicker to the loose ball.

Eight minutes in Pwllheli took the lead with an Osian Parry Jones penalty, but Ruthin struck back within three minutes.

Pwllheli conceded a penalty following a needless transgression, and visiting centre Nathan Jones calmly slotted the kick.

When an attacking kick on halfway was charged down by a Ruthin back, he fly-hacked ahead and had a free run to the try line, only to knock on under the posts.

From the ensuing scrum the home side cleared their lines, but this spurred the visitors on and when their pack fielded a kick on the right, they made ground before the ball was released to wing Gwion Richards to beat the cover to score a try.

Nathan Jones successfully added the conversion, to give his side a 10-3 lead.

Pwllheli dug deep, but the Ruthin’s defence initially held out, until an opening saw centre Deio Brunelli to crash over for a try, with Parry Jones also converting.

Shortly after the game was delayed after an injury to home captain John Pugh, but fortunately he was able to continue.

Pwllheli started the second period in some style, after Ruthin won the ball initially in their own half and kicked ahead.

The ball was fielded by flanker Eifion Roberts, who tore through the advancing cover, before supporting second row Geraint Parry beat the visitors’ defence to dive over unchallenged under the posts.

Parry Jones’ conversion gave opened up a seven point lead for the home team.

The Llyn side made a series of substitutions to freshen things up, but Ruthin fought back strongly, with Parry Jones being yellow-carded for killing the ball.

Ruthin took advantage when, following a series of drives towards the Pwllheli line, space was created for No 8 Sion Donnelly to squeeze over, and Nathan Jones’ conversion again evened the scores.

Pwllheli responded as Huw Williams stormed through to score his team’s third try, and Nic Butterworth, now at scrum half, successfully added the conversion.

For a full 20 minutes there was no further scoring, with defences to the fore.

Pwllheli were rocked when Parry Jones was carded for a technical offence, but the hosts stood tall. Ruthin were awarded a penalty close to the Pwllheli twenty two and Nathan Jones scored the three points.

The rest of the match was a tense affair, as Pwllheli’s 14 tackled everything that moved to secure a hard fought home win.

This weekend they host Ammanford in the second round of the WRU Plate.

Dinbych 17 Bro Ffestiniog 12

BRO FFESTINIOG’s disappointing start to their league campaign continued with a 17-12 defeat to visitors Denbigh, in an important match for either side to win.

It only took just five minutes for the first score. Bro were awarded a penalty deep inside Denbigh’s 22, scrum half Gethin Jones took it quickly and prop Paul Kalafusz drove towards the try line. The visitors recycled, with hooker Jordan Rye crossing for an unconverted try.

Bro Ffestiniog went close soon afterwards, but the ball was held up, and 20 minutes later, from a scrum on the hosts 10m line the visitors scored once more.

Some great inter-passing between forwards Dylan Daniels and Llion Carey put Aron Humphreys through, and the young centre made a strong run through a number of tackles to touch down under the posts, with Jordan Rye converting.

The hosts hit back from the restart as Bro kicked possession away, only for full back Gryff Roberts to gather and put right wing Kieron Bonar through to score in the corner. Roberts failed with the conversion, pushing it wide of the far post.

The teams went into the break with the score at 5-12, but the hosts dominated the second period as Bro could hardly get out of their own half. Whilst they couldn’t pierce Bro’s defence ,the continuous pressure would inevitably lead to penalties.

Denbigh started to claw back the points through a Roberts penalty, for hands in a ruck, but Bro should have extended their lead when they a missed penalty kick from Rye, which went painfully wide.

Roberts soon missed a chance to cut the lead from another penalty for a high tackle, but they made up for it minutes later when Bro were penalised for holding on.

Another penalty, with 10m added for back chat, saw Roberts successfully convert the easiest of penalty kicks and brought the scoreline to a close 11-12.

With the home crowd behind them, Denbigh continued tirelessly towards the visitors’ try line, and Bro’s defence was again penalised as a Roberts penalty put his side into the lead for the first time.

Another penalty followed soon after, as Bro were penalised in a scrum, but this time Roberts failed from 40 metres out.

With only minutes left Roberts secured a much-deserved win for Denbigh, with yet another penalty kick to complete a game of two halves. Bro should have claimed the win from the way they dominated the first period but Denbigh were much the better side during the second.

This weekend, Bro Ffestiniog will travel to play Treorchy in the national Plate.

Caernarfon 37 Dolgellau 10

DOLGELLAU were unable to recover from a strong start against hosts Caernarfon as they slipped to their third defeat in four outings in Division One North this season.

A devastating opening quarter from the home team, aided by some suspect defending from the visitors, saw Caernarfon run in three unanswered tries to take an unassailable lead so early on.

Caernarfon prop Pedr Jones scored the first, only a minute into the match, when crossing under the posts, and full-back Aled Jones then added the conversion points.

Four minutes later, a strong run from full-back Jones saw centre Iwan Evans go over for a try out in the left corner to open up a 12-0 advantage.

Seventeen minutes into the match their third try came as winger Adam Thomas’ long and winding run saw him cross over for a score near the posts. Aled Jones added the extras, and Caernarfon now held a formidable 19-0 lead.

Dolgellau made a decent fist of it for the remaining hour of the match, but Caernarfon were well on top in the first half, with Aled Jones adding two penalties to make it 25-0 at the interval.

Playing with the slope, it took Dolgellau some 25 minutes to get on to the scoreboard. No 8 Dewi Thomas’ quick tap penalty saw flanker Tim Jones and full-back James Owen exchange some neat passes, and Jones went over to make the score 25-5.

The home side responded with No 8 Mac Jones crossing the line after half an hour, and prop Pedr Jones got his second try five minutes later.

Full-back, Aled Jones converted the latter try to make the score 37-5 to the hosts.

Dolgellau finished strongly, and from another quickly taken penalty, once again from outstanding No 8 Dewi Thomas, winger Rob Pugh wormed his way over for a consolation score late on.

• BALA scored three tries, but they had to settle for a losing bonus point in a 27-20 defeat at home to Bethesda.

Miallt Roberts, with a brace, and replacement Tom Hughes went over for tries, with Owain Aled kicking a penalty and a conversion.