Dale McIntosh’s side were convincing 6-43 winners and if recent form is anything to go by, a league and cup double is far from out of the equation.
Although they eventually fell to a heavy defeat, it was Tata Steel who forged upfield straight from the kick off and put points on the board through a close range penalty from full back Gareth Walters.
And with Ponty yielding turnovers and back tracking into their own half, Walters had the chance to extend his side’s lead though his penalty effort missed the mark.
After a slow start, the visitors eventually built up some momentum, generating a series of drives and then shipping the ball out wide for winger Owen Williams to cross in the corner. The game was already shaping up to be a typically abrasive cup battle as the home pack fronted up to their opponents and forced them into committing errors.
But Ponty’s best moments came when they put width to their play, as they did in moving the ball out to winger Chris Clayton who went in for another corner flag try. The visitors were striving hard to pick up the tempo of their game but were unable to dominate during a scrappy period of play, with Tata in turn responding when Walters hoisted over a penalty.
As Ponty finally cut loose from their defensive shackles, they fed the ball out to dynamic winger Clayton who surged into the home half. The ball was then moved across the back line bringing opposite wing Williams in on a good angle to score a try which was converted by Simon Humberstone to register an interval score line of 6-17.
The second half got off to a low key start but with Tata still probing for territory and contesting the game to the full. Ponty secured a turnover to counter at pace, then launching a secondary attack from a scrum to send centre Dafydd Lockyer charging through for a try which Humberstone converted.
Despite the visitors’ big points advantage, the game was still keenly contested going into its final quarter. Ponty spurned kicks at goal to gain field position and were once more rewarded as hooker Darran Harris surged clear from a line out with scrum half Gareth James up in support to score. His try was converted by Humberstone.
Clayton rounded off a kick and chase to ground for a second score and with the cup win wrapped up, Ponty launched one last attack for full back Gareth Wyatt to dart over for a seventh try.
Dai Flanagan converted with the final kick of the game in a comprehensive win.
