Fixture

Aberdare RFC secured back-to-back victories on Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought 31-13 triumph over Ynysddu at The Ynys. Despite a shaky start, the Snakes found their rhythm to deliver a clinical display and maintain their winning momentum.

The visitors opened the scoring early with a penalty from Aberdare’s 22m line, capitalising on early errors from the Snakes to go 3-0 ahead. Aberdare struck back almost immediately as Garyn Payne showcased his precision with the boot, levelling the score at 3-3.

Ynysddu continued to control the early stages, pressuring Aberdare into mistakes and adding another penalty to lead 6-3. The Snakes’ defence, however, stood resilient, preventing the visitors from gaining further ground despite their territorial dominance.

It took until the 25th minute for Aberdare to shift momentum. A series of penalties earned the home side valuable field position, culminating in a powerful driving maul that allowed captain Daniel Lewis to touch down for the Snakes’ first try. Payne converted, giving Aberdare their first lead at 10-6.

With confidence building, Aberdare took control of the latter stages of the half. Payne slotted two more penalties, capitalising on Ynysddu’s indiscipline to stretch the lead to 16-6 at halftime.

Aberdare started the second half as they ended the first, with Payne adding another penalty to extend the lead to 19-6.

Minutes later, their imposing maul struck again. Kian Carter secured the lineout, and the maul advanced deep into Ynysddu territory. Ben Staton identified a gap and powered over for Aberdare’s second try. Payne converted to make it 26-6.

As the game entered its final quarter, Ynysddu fought valiantly to claw back, putting Aberdare under sustained pressure. The Snakes’ discipline faltered briefly, resulting in two yellow cards that reduced them to 13 men.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Aberdare’s defence stood firm, with debutant Leon Caviel delivering crucial interventions to keep the visitors at bay.

Aberdare then turned defence into attack with a lightning-fast counter. Peter Richmond’s clever kick through forced Ynysddu back, and Jack Payne’s relentless chase secured a penalty at the ruck. A quick tap-and-go resulted in Richmond exploiting space to dive over for the Snakes’ third try. Though the conversion was missed, the scoreline read 31-6, effectively sealing the win.

Ynysddu scored a late consolation try, their centre breaking the defensive line and linking with their outside half to score under the posts. The successful conversion brought the final score to 31-13.

Aberdare may not have delivered their most polished performance, but their resilience and ability to capitalise on key moments secured an important win.

Garyn Payne’s flawless kicking and the forward pack’s dominance in the maul were key. The Snakes also showed immense character in defence, particularly when reduced to 13 men.

Back-to-back victories set Aberdare up well as they prepare for their next fixture against Talywain at home on Saturday, December 14th. With two weeks to fine-tune their game, the Snakes will look to build on their momentum in what promises to be a challenging encounter.