Penarth Sport

Old Penarthians' season to open with tricky Saturday match

7:50am Thursday 2nd September 2010

OLD PENARTHIANS face a daunting prospect on Saturday when the senior side opens the new campaign with a home fixture against Ferndale, scheduled for a 2.30pm kick off.

The Rhondda-based opponents are paying their first visit to Penarth since the season 2006-7, at which time they earned promotion to Division 4 South East as runners-up to Champions Rhiwbina. During that campaign, Ferndale dished out a severe mauling in the 45-14 success that marked their visit to Penarth, but Mark Smart’s side fared better in the return, conceding a season’s double but producing a much improved performance that was evidenced in the 17-7 scoreline on the trip to the Rhondda.

The higher division, however, proved too much of a hurdle for Ferndale who struggled to make an impact, finishing 10th out of 12 teams in their first season whilst improving only marginally to 9th in their second term. Last season saw them struggle throughout, before finally languishing in 12th place fully 15 points adrift of Pontycymmer, a side also relegated but to Division 5 West.

Normally, this would be a challenge that the Old Boys would relish but a late change in holiday arrangements means that a number of leading players, including newly elected Skipper James Evans, are unavailable for selection. As a consequence, Saturday’s line-up is something of an unknown quantity, and Coach Jeff Norman will be keeping his fingers crossed that those who are available will be able to get the side off to the start that is needed if Penarthians are to make an impact within the divisional placings this term.

If there are selectorial problems this weekend, they are nothing compared with the situation last Saturday.

A final trial game had been arranged with Division Four side Trimsaran only to find a list of cry-offs falling like ninepins. Team Manager Tony Purnell was left tearing his hair out as phone call after phone call produced negative results that finally added up to a total of 19 players apparently otherwise engaged.

Of these, the prize for the most original excuse went to Paul Langley whose absence was explained by the player’s participation in the World Bog Snorkelling championships taking place in mid Wales!

As it was, a rag, tag, and bobtail side was mustered to do battle with the West Walian visitors and it proved a useful exercise for players clearly in need of a warm-up before the exertions of the weeks ahead. The Old Boys competed particularly well in an opening half that saw them facing an unseasonal stiff breeze and succeeding to such an extent that they were well worth the share of the spoils that marked a 0-0 score line at the half time break.

The second session was less pleasing in that a couple of casual moments in defence allowed the visitors to snatch the two tries that accounted for the margin in their eventual 10-0 victory, whilst the lack of composure on the part of the hosts saw them squander the several reasonable chances that had materialised through the solid work of the forwards.

Indeed, it was an encouraging feature that the Old Boys had dominated the set pieces with Stuart Gunnarsson reigning supreme at the linesout with fine support also from Stuart Clarke.

In the set scrums, Lee Brennan, Simon Barry, and Steve Webber clearly had the measure of their opposite numbers although it must be said that the Penarthian trio can be assured of more formidable opposition in the weeks ahead.

Full marks, too, to flanker Sean Leach for his contribution of aggressive defence throughout.

Behind the scrum, veteran Mark Bow did his best to guide the action despite being called up at the last moment, but there was a distinctly makeshift look about the back division with several players forced into unaccustomed roles. Nevertheless, outside half Huw Lidell did enough to suggest that he could well be a decided acquisition in a role that has been troublesome in recent times, whilst centre Craig Buckland added strength with some determined running in midfield.

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