LLANDOVERY’S improved form of recent weeks gained further momentum when they fully deserved this first league win of the season at Bridge Field.

The Drovers had got three losing bonus points from their last three games but this time they converted their chances into invaluable tries and the resulting four points thanks to a dynamic start.

“We’re eventually starting to believe in ourselves,” said coach Rob Appleyard. “This win will give the squad a huge confidence boost after the disappointments of recent weeks and now that we have our first win of the season, we can go on to better things and climb off the bottom of the table.”

His words were echoed by club president Phil Davies. “We were clearly the better side but I got very nervous towards the end when we lost a lot of 50-50 balls but we are all delighted to see the hard work of the coaches starting to bear fruit.

“Chairman Handel Davies was away on holiday and missed the win – perhaps he should stay away more often!” quipped the mightily relieved Llandovery president.

After home full-back Stuart Thomas had kicked a very early penalty, Llandovery raced into a 19-3 lead inside 25 minutes thanks to three tries from No 8 Lloyd Phillips (2) and centre Rhys Williams plus two conversions by fly-half Dan Ettridge.

Phillips was outstanding throughout and was clearly the Man of the Match.

His first try came at the end of a lightning pick-up and burst at a five metre scrum when his final surge took him through a pile of defenders.

He then popped up to finish a fine counter attack from centre Nathan Brew and hooker Adam Yelland.

Yelland’s quick throw-in at half way and exchange of passes with on-loan Scarlets centre Brew saw the Llandeilo product bursting 40 yards up the touchline before delivering an inside pass to the galloping Phillips.

Williams soon made up for a serious error in not putting wing Owain Rowlands over in the corner by racing away for the third Llandovery try after cleverly anticipating a long midfield pass by Bedwas centre Tom Williams, nephew of the great JPR.

The Drovers started to lose discipline in the contact area to allow Thomas to bring the score to 19-12 at the break but Ettridge restored confidence with a gigantic penalty from inside his own half which cleared the dead ball line and hit the clubhouse wall. Bedwas old timers reckoned that it was the longest ever penalty struck at the ground and covered some 80 metres from tee to clubhouse wall.

Llandovery temporarily lost replacement hooker Emyr Phillips for a high tackle and started making things difficult for themselves by too often losing line-out ball on their own throw and also losing the battle of the loose.

Thankfully they were as brave in the last quarter as they had been clinical in the first, led in defence by forwards Phillips and flanker Gareth Williams and backs Dan Rogers and Ifan Evans who contained the ever dangerous Jimmy Norris on the Bedwas left wing.

Increasing Bedwas pressure was rewarded late on with a losing bonus point try from replacement scrum-half Simon Jones.

This vital win takes Llandovery up to 7 points behind Bedwas (9), Cross Keys (10) and Pontypool (13).

It looks already likely that the relegated side at the end of the season will be from these four clubs and there is quiet confidence at Church Bank that the Drovers will be equal to the task and avoid the drop to National One West.