Pontypridd finished top of the Welsh Premiership and will now face the winner of either Llanelli or Aberavon in the play–off final, after beating Llandovery 20-0 at Sardis Road.
A touchdown either side of the break from centre Dafydd Lockyer and veteran full-back Gareth Wyatt saw the hosts ease to victory, one which will give them home advantage for the championship decider on May 18.
Pontypridd went into the match knowing a victory would guarantee them top place in the league, while the Drovers also knew that a place in the play-offs was up for grabs for them, but in the end, it was Dale McIntosh’s men who were celebrating following a deserved and hard-fought triumph.
The hosts nearly got off to a perfect start after five minutes only for scrum-half Lewis Jones to knock-on just a yard out before fly-half Lewis K Williams pushed a penalty just wide of the left-hand post.
Both Pontypridd wingers saw plenty of the ball early on. Matthew Nuthall on the left flank came close to breaking the deadlock following good work in midfield from Wyatt and Lockyer, while also showing their mettle at the scrum.
Nuthall was in the thick of it moments later when he off-loaded in the tackle to find Wyatt who put Chris Clayton away down the right. He looked set to score but spilled the ball five yards from the line.
The reverse fixture earlier in the season had been won by Pontypridd with just a solitary penalty, and yesterday’s match was following a similar pattern with both defences cancelling each other out.
But on 22 minutes, and with referee James Jones playing them a penalty advantage, the hosts got that all-important first score. Jones picked up from the base of a scrum close in and fed Williams who found Lockyer, cutting back on the scissors to touchdown under the posts. Williams duly added the extras.
LLandovery struggled to make their possession tell as they suffered a lack of creativity in the opposition 22, although they were up against a very determined defence on the day.
Leading 7-0 at the interval, the hosts didn't have to wait long in the second-half to extend their advantage, this time with a Williams penalty.
No 8 Dan Godfrey broke from a scrum in the shadow of his own posts, released Lockyer, and the centre kicked up field where the covering defence were penalised for holding on under pressure from the attackers following up.
Llandovery were reduced to 14 men when second row Matthew Harbut was adjudged to have collapsed a rolling maul a few metres from his own try-line.
Moments later, the 2,500 strong crowd nearly had their second try to cheer when a superbly judged cross-kick by Williams agonisingly bounced just out of the grasp of Clayton, but on the hour it was 13-0, when Williams landed a second penalty after the Drovers were penalised for infringing at a scrum.
With the numerical advantage, Pontypridd put the clash to bed thanks to some lovely interplay involving Gary Williams, Nuthall and Wyatt which ended with the latter gleefully diving over.
Williams landed the awkward touchline conversion and although replacement Jake Thomas was yellow-carded for a tip tackle late on, the visitors couldn’t breach the Pontypridd line and they have to settle with a very credible fourth place in the Premiership.
The play-off final could well be a repeat of last season when Llanelli travelled to Sardis Road and upset the form book to take the title. This time, the Scarlets have to see off Aberavon on May 12 for the honour of meeting Pontypridd six days later.
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