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Barnett finds Keys to success

Barnett finds Keys to success

Lewis Barnett crossed for a brace of tries as Cross Keys thumped Swansea 26-0 at St Helen’s to extend their unbeaten run at the top of the Principality Premiership’s Tier 2.

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The Keys are in formidable form since the Premiership split, winning all three of their games with this heavy defeat of the All Whites their most convincing yet, although things did not exactly go to plan in the early exchanges for the visitors.

Josh Prosser missed an early penalty after the hosts were caught offside with Joseph Goodchild halted by Jon Bayliss with the try-line gaping. But soon there was a reward for the constant pressure with Barnett going over for his first and Prosser making amends for his earlier penalty miss with the extras.

Whites outside half Jac Wilson missed a drop-goal attempt and soon after missed a routine penalty. Leon Andrews went over for the visitors’ second with Wilson again skewing a shot at goal before the break.

The Keys capitalised and extended the lead when Matthew Powell collected a kick in the mid-field to touch down, but Prosser missed the conversion. Swansea were unlucky not to find a try of their own when Jonathan Bayliss danced through, but a clever tap tackle stopped the centre in his tracks before Barnett rubbed salt into the home wounds with the bonus-point try.

Newport consigned Cardiff to their third defeat in Tier 2 at a wet and muddy Rodney Parade as they gained revenge for their earlier defeat at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park with a 17-8 win in a match that lacked inspiration and real quality.

The Black and Ambers spent the first 10 minutes camped in their own 22 before outside half Jarrod Evans opened the scoring for the visitors with a simple penalty. Both teams struggled to gain a stranglehold on the match, but the home side registered the afternoon’s first try when prop Garin Harris barrelled over from close range.

Outside half Geraint O’Driscoll converted the score and then added a penalty in the last play of the half. The rather turgid battle carried on after the break and Cardiff lost prop Gavin Nash to the sin-bin for persistent infringement at the scrum.

In the end, Newport pulled away and No8 Rhys Jenkins powered over from the base of a scrum for a captain’s try, converted by O’Driscoll, before Cardiff centre Will Rees-Hole crossed for an unconverted consolation effort.
Bridgend snatched their first win at Parc y Scarlets with a 28-21 comeback victory over hosts Llanelli. Both sides had gone into the game without a victory since the Premiership split.

But it was the home side who took the lead in the third minute through No8 Jack Condy, converted by full-back Dion Jones. Bridgend fly-half Joseph Scrivens failed with a penalty attempt but the visitors soon got on the scoreboard with an unconverted try from hooker Iestyn Merriman.

Scrum-half Chris Williams crossed for the Ravens’ second try with a length-of-the-field break, but Scrivens’ poor afternoon from the tee continued with his conversion hitting the post. Llanelli retaliated with a try from prop Rhys Fawcett in the final play of the half, again converted by Jones.

Scrivens adjusted his radar and booted three points after the break, before former-Bridgend hooker Greg George crossed for Llanelli, with Jones’ boot extending the lead to eight. The lead did not last long, though, as No.8 Ashton Evans scored an unconverted try and Scrivens notched up a simple penalty.

The visitors took the lead for the first time in the second-half through a bonus-point try from Garin Lougher, converted by Scrivens. A yellow card for substitute prop Eddie Drake made it a nervy final six minutes, but Bridgend held on for the win.

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