The home side eventually ran out 22-17 winners and look the side to beat at the moment. The Wizards pushed them close though and Simon King’s side look to be improving with every game.
And it was the visitors who took the lead, opening their account within one minute through a penalty kicked by outside half Jamie Davies. The score was quickly cancelled out though as Ponty made headway into their opponents half for Simon Humberstone to respond with a penalty of his own.
A lengthy injury interval ensued as Aberavon back rower and former Ponty icon Nathan Strong was carried off, but when play resumed, Ponty were once more advancing from a solid forward platform. Pressure was turned into points as Humberstone drilled over a penalty in front of the posts with 17 minutes gone.
The Pontypridd fly half added another penalty but the contest was anything but a classic, often stuttering from set piece to set piece to the accompaniment of the referee’s whistle.
The breakthrough finally came though when the Ponty pack drove onwards for lock Chris Dicomidis to claim a try. Humberstone converted for a 16-3 interval lead.
The start of the second half mirrored the first with an early Jamie Davies penalty sailing between the posts. Having defended resolutely against an Aberavon attack, Ponty worked their way into the visitors’ 22 but were unable to strike for a score.
And Aberavon responded, first through another Davies penalty before scrum half David Pritchard charged down a kick for an opportunist score wide out.
With the referee’s whistle still dominant in an error strewn and pattern-less encounter, Aberavon seemed to be gaining in confidence and outside half Davies struck over another penalty to edge his team into a one point lead.
Facing defeat square in the face, Ponty showed their Championship credentials and responded admirably – two more Humberstone penalties putting the home side back in front to secure the win.
