With three minutes left on the clock the Ravens looked set to pull off one of the results of their season at Pontypridd, a venue at which they had triumphed 34-31 last year to save their Indigo Group Premiership status.
But then home hero Lloyd Rowlands struck with a late try that turned a potential 17-13 defeat into a single point victory. The only compensation was a losing bonus-point, but the Ravens are now three points adrift at the bottom of the table and nearest rivals Ebbw Vale have two games in hand.
The Steelmen had stolen a march on their revelation rivals by beating Pontypridd the week before to move off the bottom and it looked as though the Ravens were going to match them. In the end, though, a Mason Grady inspired Ponty just prevailed.
“The most important thing for us was simply to win. It wasn’t a great spectacle and I’d class the performance as unacceptable, but the win was vital to keep us up in the top half of the table.,” admitted Ponty’s director of rugby, Justin Burnell.
“We’ve played the two bottom clubs over the past two weekends, two teams battling for survival, and they have been tough games. It was pleasing to see some of the younger players, such as man of the match Mason Grady, showing their mettle in difficult circumstances.”
The Ravens led 9-0 with full-back Owen Howe sending over three penalties, but Ponty responded with a penalty of their own kicked by Diggy Bird.
Flanker Joseph Grabham was then sent to the sin-bin and the hosts took full advantage from a line-out drive with hooker Rob Jones burrowing over for an unconverted try to trim their deficit to just a point at the turnaround.
A flash of inspiration came as Ponty launched a snap offensive with good support work down the flank, powerful young Wales U18 centre Grady going over in the corner. Just as it seemed that the home team were edging into the ascendancy, Bridgend struck back with outside half Jacob Chilcott hoisting an opportunist cross kick which winger Caine Woolerton followed up to score.
The game was balanced on a knife edge going into the final 10 minutes. Chilcott kicked a penalty after an earlier missed attempt to edge his team further ahead. But they would be denied at the death, with the home team instigating a line-out drive and then spreading the ball wide for replacement Rowlands to dive over.
Ebbw Vale will get the chance to extend their advantage in the relegation battle when they make up one of their games in hand at Newport on Friday night.
