A 39-11 win at Sardis Road included six of the best from Regan Wilton, Ben Grzesica, Andrew Murphy, Dan Parry, Dylan Williams and Darryl Rooney as their tries provided the perfect send off for outgoing director of rugby Craig Dummett.
After three years in the Championship the Foxes, who finished fourth bottom and a mere two points from safety, will return to Division 1 next season with a new coach, but with some significant silverware in their trophy cabinet.
“This is for the villagers, the supporters, the people who come and watch us week in, week out. They live and breathe Bedlinog, so it’s good for them, as well as ourselves as coaches and the players,” said Dummett.
“Credit to the boys, they had a real edge about them and played with tempo. I knew that if we brought that they wouldn’t live with us.
“We’ve probably played our rugby too late in the season and overall it’s been a disappointment for us really. Looking back over the season, it was probably the run of games we lost at home just after Christmas that ultimately cost us.
“Most other years we’d have been staying up but this year it wasn’t meant to be. That said, we’ve got enough steel in this village and I think they’ll have a very successful season next year.”
Gilfach Goch were also looking for a silver lining to a disappointing league campaign that saw they them suffer relegation from Division 1 East Central. They drew first blood with a penalty from full back Josh Williams, but there was to be no denying Bedlinog.
Back row man Wilton got the first try to take the lead and then outside half Grzesica went over for the second after 33 minutes. A third score before the break from replacement Murphy helped to make it 22-6 to the Foxes at the break.
A try from powerful No 8 Mason Roderick midway through the second half raised Gilfach’s spirits and when Bedlinog were reduced to 13 men after a bout of yellow fever that saw both Grzesica and Gareth Williams go to the sin-bin there seemed to be a chance of them to get back into it.
A try from Parry, who also kicked three conversions and a penalty, steadied the ship for the leaders and late tries from impressive full-back Dylan Williams and replacement centre Rooney put the icing on the cake.
While there was a winning send-off for Dummett, his Gilfach counterpart Ashley Copic could only lick his wounds after his final game as head coach. Even so, he departed a proud man.
“The boys more than filled the jersey. There were some tired bodies out there but they just kept on giving and we probably just didn’t have the rub of the green,” said Copic.
“I’m not saying for definite we’d have won, but there were key areas on the pitch where we could have turned some pressure into points. Unfortunately, it just didn’t go our way.”
“This club can definitely bounce back. There are some very young boys who have a lot of composure within them and I think they’ll be contenders in Division 2 next year.”
