Bowen’s 11 Points Take The Scarlets Back To The Top

EBBW VALE 3, LLANELLI 16
Llanelli moved back to the top of the Welsh/Scottish League as they took full advantage of Newport’s draw in Edinburgh to move two points clear at the top.
The Scarlets lost their lead on their last visit to Gwent in January, when they were beaten at Newport, and they were in no mood to surrender another three points at Eugene Cross Park.
With first use of the driving wind and rain, the Scarlets rattled up a 13-3 interval lead thanks to a charged-down try by Wayne Proctor and eight points from the boot of Gareth Bowen.
The Llanelli outside-half had to travel 12,000 miles from Auckland, where he was on duty with the Wales Sevens side, to make the game as Llanelli rested their international stand-off Stephen Jones.
That Proctor try provided the first points of the night, but Vale eventually got on the scoreboard when Gareth Cull kicked a penalty after 19 minutes.
But that was all Vale could muster on a quagmire pitch and two penalties from Bowen’s boot gave the visitors a handy 13-3 interval lead.
Bowen kicked a third penalty 15 minutes after the break and that was that. Llanelli are back at the top of the Welsh/Scottish League and the rest will have to chase them to the end of the season.
SCORERS: Ebbw Vale: Pen: G Cull.
Llanelli: Try: W Proctor; Con: G Bowen; Pens: G Bowen 3.