WRU East One

Abercarn 43 Monmouth 1st XV 10

HAVING beaten Brynmawr the previous week, Saturday’s visit to Abercarn was filled with hope and some expectation.

But the score by the final whistle showed why the latter are heading for top of the table and Monmouth still struggle to find consistency.

Monmouth started well, moving the ball speedily along their three-quarter line with a move which went through five phases, but resulting in a turnover near the opposition line.

Hopes were raised again after 10 minutes when the hosts’ hooker was yellow-carded for dissent following a scrum for a forward pass.

Both sides were kicking long and deep and full-back Matt Tabb saved his team by covering back deeply and kicking a good touch.

A Monmouth attacking move then brought a penalty for holding on, but calamity then struck as two missed tackles saw Abercarn go seven points in front nearing the end of the first quarter.

The restart dropout was caught on the wind, sailed into touch and the visitors were soon under pressure again, but cleared to touch despite their scrum being pushed back in the corner.

But two further missed tackles lost territory and the hosts cleverly kicked high cross-field to their left wing who found support inside for a try (12-0).

Monmouth‘s hooker Joe Christopher was then substituted and the line-out began to struggle.

Abercarn, showing greater creativity and togetherness, all but scored again in the left corner save for a tackle into touch.

But following a deep move into their territory, Monmouth centre Greg Scanlon burst through a gap near the posts to score, although the extras were missed (12-5).

Centre Ollie Scriven then sold a dummy near the line, resulting in a penalty against for crossing and a 10m penalty for disputing the decision.

But Monmouth raised their game again only to be driven into touch, before Abercarn equally missed a score for crossing before the half-time whistle.

Within minutes of the restart left-wing Tom Andrews showed his pace and made 55m.

Several rucks followed, but a Monmouth attacker chose the wrong option with an overlap outside him.

Burly Shaun Hobbs soon made ground near the line though, with fellow second-row Connor Cadle on hand to narrow the score to 12-10.

Fly-half Rhys Jones blasted the conversion to try and defeat the wind but sliced it instead.

A moment of indecision then saw a chance to take the lead go begging.

And Abercarn made the visitors pay, going over again for a seven-pointer (19-10) before some dithering in defence brought a penalty and a yellow card for Andrews for dissent.

Concentration began to slip and some weak tackling brought another try, with the conversion this time hitting the post (24-10).

The restart drop out then failed to go 10m and Scanlon had to make a stunning tackle to stop Abercarn breaking from the scrum.

But showing signs of fatigue and some disarray, Monmouth then conceded another converted try (31-10).

Former Dragons star Jason Tovey’s expertise with the boot showed with a spiralling 45m gain to touch and then a clever grubber brought the slightest of knock ons by Tabb to keep Monmouth under pressure.

A Monmouth attempt to keep moving the ball then resulted in an intercepted high pass for a clear run in for 38-10, before a further handling error led to another try and a 43-10 final score.

Monmouth next host mid-table Blackwood on October 31.