Fixture

Aberdare, travelled to Ely with confidence, aiming to build on the momentum from their previous match. However, it was clear from the outset that Glamorgan Wanderers were ready to set the tone, as Aberdare found themselves playing catch-up from the opening minutes.

The home side struck early, with a try in the first five minutes. A pinpoint cross-field kick from the Wanderers’ outside half was perfectly gathered by the winger, who deftly stepped inside to touch down. The conversion was successful, giving Wanderers an immediate 7-0 lead.

Wanderers doubled their advantage. A well-executed lineout in Aberdare's half set up a quick sequence of passes, ending with a clever chip over the top. The winger collected and passed inside for the supporting player to cross over in the corner. With the conversion missed, the score stood at 12-0.

Aberdare responded with some good pressure of their own, but handling errors and unforced mistakes undermined their efforts. Despite flashes of attacking promise, Wanderers' defence held firm, and Aberdare had to settle for a penalty from Cameron Samuel to get on the scoreboard before halftime, narrowing the deficit to 12-3.

The second half began poorly for Aberdare. A loose kick handed Wanderers an easy field position, which they quickly exploited. Quick hands along the short side found their winger in space, and he fended off tackles to score Wanderers' third try of the day. The conversion extended their lead to 17-3.

Aberdare finally got the breakthrough they deserved when Ben Miller intercepted a loose pass and sprinted upfield to score under the posts. With Samuel converting, the score was now 17-10.

However, this brief resurgence was snuffed out by the clinical Wanderers. After resisting Aberdare’s pressure, the home side struck back with a penalty, extending their lead to 20-10. Then Wanderers earned a penalty try, courtesy of a collapsed maul by Aberdare, pushing the score to 27-10.

The Snakes, now reduced to 14 men, showed resilience and continued to attack, but again Wanderers’ defence proved impenetrable. Frustrated, Aberdare conceded yet another try after a quick tap penalty from Wanderers in their own 22m sparked a brilliant counter-attack, ending with their fifth try of the match. The score was now 32-10.

Wanderers weren't done yet. Following a dominant scrum on Aberdare’s 5m line, their number 8 set up the scrum-half for another try, taking the score to 39-10 after the conversion.

Aberdare did manage a consolation try late in the game. Last year's player of the year, Garyn Payne, powered through the Wanderers’ defence to score from the 10m line.

Despite the effort, the match ended 39-15 in Wanderers’ favour. A challenging day for the Snakes against a well-drilled Glamorgan Wanderers team.

Attention now turns to next week’s home match against Brynmawr, with a big week of training ahead for the Aberdare squad.