Ebbw Vale’s giant-killing run in this
season’s Swalec Cup came to an end at Rodney Parade as Cross Keys scraped
through to next month’s final on try count.
The Steelmen looked on course for their
fourth Premiership scalp on the trot and a showdown with Pontypridd at the
Millennium Stadium as they led 19-16 with five minutes left.
But the Division One East leaders, who
had accounted for Swansea, Carmarthen Quins and Newport in previous rounds,
were denied when Cross Keys fly-half Dean Gunter landed a late penalty to tie
the scores.
And, having scored two tries to Ebbw
Vale’s one, a draw was ultimately good enough to see the British & Irish
Cup finalists into May’s showpiece in the Welsh capital.
It was Ebbw Vale who had opened the
scoring with a Dorian Jones penalty on five minutes but Cross Keys seized the
initiative before the break with full-back Gareth David and front five forward
Tom Lampard crossing.
Gunter extended his side’s 10-3
interval lead with another penalty soon after the restart only for Jones to
reply in kind seconds later. The Ebbw Vale playmaker struck a third
three-pointer on 53 minutes only for Gunter to make it 16-9 on the hour.
However, the Steelmen dug in and showed
tremendous spirit as second row Ashley Sweet crossed the whitewash for Jones to
convert with ten minutes to go.
And it got even better for the Eugene
Cross Park outfit when Jones slotted a sweetly-struck drop goal to give his
side a 19-16 lead with time ticking away.
But, Ebbw Vale were cruelly denied
right at the end when referee Neil Hennessy awarded Cross Keys a penalty which
Gunter converted to level the tie 19-19 and book the Gwent club’s place in a second
cup final of the campaign.
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