The back-row forward, who played more than 200 games for the club when it was part of Welsh rugby’s top flight in the 1970s and 80s before keeping it afloat as chairman in the 90s after it fell from the heights, tragically passed away the day after they defeated Lampeter in their semi-final.
Clarke was proud of the fact no fewer than 25 out of the 27 players and team management involved in the final with Vardre had come through the club’s mini and junior system.
Outside-half Dan Haile was successful with two conversions and five penalties for a 19-point haul as they built on the work of their pack. He got the scoreboard ticking by landing a 42m penalty with less than two minutes on the clock.
Full-back Richard Brunton, a veteran of more than 150 games for the West Central club, added to the century plus points he has scored this season with a penalty to draw Vardre level.
But Abertillery were soon back in front with a peach of a try. They moved the ball left and some clever running created the space for left-wing Aled Penn to skip out of an attempted tackle to score.
Haile converted and they were seven points to the good. That became 10 when he put over a second penalty.
Abertillery were dominant and their second try came from a line-out. They drove for the line to create the platform for flanker Jack Summers to pivot and dive over. Haile was wide with the conversion but it was 18-3 in their favour.
Vardre, who have won eight of their nine matches in Division Three West Central this campaign, probed for an opening but the Abertillery defence managed to keep them at bay.
However, Abertillery suffered a blow when skipper and centre Lewis Bates departed with a shoulder injury. They threatened from the final play of the opening half with Nathan Corlett coming off his wing but a Vardre hand managed to stifle the attack.
Vardre started the second half with a bang with a breakout culminating in Brunton beating Corlett to the ball for a try. He was unable to convert but the gap had been reduced to 10 points.
Unfortunately for them, they conceded a penalty. Haile punished them to take his tally to 11 points to give Abertillery a 13-point advantage. It became 16 when he added another after Vardre captain Adam Humphreys was sin-binned for killing the ball.
But Vardre refused to throw in the towel with a super pass from centre Shane Davies putting right-wing Callum Roche over in the corner for Brunton to expertly convert to reduce the arrears to nine points.
However, the superiority of the Abertillery pack enabled prop Dafydd Cripps, the son of Gwent rugby funnyman Brandon Cripps, to touch down for Haile to convert to make it 31-15.
Vardre, to their credit, fought back with flanker Dylan Hills driving over from close range for Brunton to convert to trail by nine points. Then Roche got his second try. Brunton’s conversion rebounded off an upright but they were just four points behind.
Haile soothed Abertillery’s nerves with a superb penalty from distance to establish a seven-point advantage. A converted score would have been enough to give Vardre glory on try count but time ran out on their brave effort.
Abertillery BG: Mike Williams; Nathan Corlett, Kurtis Haile, Lewis Bates (capt), Aled Penn; Dan Haile, Shaun Gwillam; Dafydd Cripps, Jordan Legge, Callum Kelly, Joe Hassall, Mathew Catlin, Jack Summers, Robbie Creed, Joe Phelps.
Reps: Ryan Mahoney, Jevon Griffiths, Dan Crandon, Lewis Prosser, Joel Wright, Dan Croft, Aaron Humpries, Ieuan Taylor.
Tries: Penn, Summers, Cripps; cons: Haile 2(); pens: Haile (5).
Vardre: Richard Brunton; Callum Roche, Shane Davies, Tom Bevan, Luke Curtis; Lewis Humphreys, Liam Garland; Hayden Manorek, Liam Thomas, Nathan Hills, Jack Sterio, Josh Collier, Dylan Hills, Adam Humphreys (capt), Dan Llewellyn.
Reps: Luke Jones, Ben Williams Jones, James Garland, Chris Collier, Lewis Thomas, Jonathan Griffiths, Joe Davies, Liam Cording.
Tries: Brunton, Roche (2), Hills; cons: Brunton (2); pen: Brunton.
