Following the disappointment of defeat in the first round of the Championship Cup, Brecon were looking to restore momentum in their league programme. For a third successive Saturday they travelled away from home, this time to Glynneath.

The afternoon was dry and the pitch in good condition, but a strong breeze favoured the home team as they kicked off. What unfolded was a fascinating match in which nine tries were scored, but one in which Brecon ended marginally on the wrong side of the scoreline.

Glynneath 31 – Brecon 29

In spite of the fact that they outscored their opponents by five to four in terms of tries, they ended up two points adrift of their opponents, who converted all of their tries and added a critical penalty, while Brecon added just two successful conversions.

However, Brecon could not claim that they were robbed of a victory. There were too many errors in their game and, in spite of a great fightback in the last 20 minutes, they were always chasing the game rather than bossing or controlling the match.

The team management of Kristian Dacey, Matthew Trowbridge and Adam Powell summed it up accurately, not with a dressing down but by presenting a factual analysis of where Brecon lost the game:

“Yes, we imposed our structure on the game in the last 20 minutes, but we cannot leak 31 points and expect to win. Our defence at times was poor. We are not consistently playing at the standard that we expect or that we are capable of. We all, collectively, have to be accountable and have to show consistency over 80 minutes. We can be excited about the final 20 minutes, but we have to stop putting pressure on ourselves and instead put that pressure on our opponents.”

The game certainly didn’t start well for Brecon. Within four minutes they were seven points down. The score was somewhat bizarre but was avoidable.

Brecon won a scrum in their half and moved the ball to midfield, where Llewelyn Brown looked to thread a grubber kick through the flat Glynneath defence. As his opponent Jed O’Reilly turned his back, the ball struck his foot and rebounded straight down the field and over the deserted try line. Following up, he had the simple task of dotting down for a try, which outside-half Jordon Thomas converted.

This was an early, unfortunate setback and Brecon looked to break back as quickly as possible. Scrums were even and, with Rhodri Jenkins as their main target, they had a slight advantage at the line-out.

Hooker Cory Westermark and lock Keiran Parry carried well to gain ground, but the pattern of Brecon’s play was not effective. At times they looked threatening, but then they either kicked the ball away or made basic errors.

After 16 minutes they mounted their first serious assault in the Glynneath 22, but they failed to sustain pressure as they allowed powerful inside-centre Jack Gray to burst through some weak tackling, allowing Glynneath to break out.

Brecon were left to rue that failure as Glynneath gained territory through two successive penalties. Their pressure told and, off a tap penalty in the Brecon 22, they went left, switched right, and an inside ball to full-back Jordon Griffiths led to a try, which Thomas converted.

Brecon sought to hit back and their best chance came off a five-metre line-out. The set maul inched its way towards the line but was halted just short, held up, and a scrum was conceded.

Finally, after 37 minutes of play, Brecon strung together a cohesive attack. Rhodri Jenkins, Cory Westermark, Morgan Powell, Sam Pinch, Luke Evans and Keiran Parry made ground and a try looked likely, but the ball was spilled.

Glynneath kicked clear, only for three of Brecon’s most threatening players to combine to produce a great try. Wing Alec Barradell claimed the kick and cut past a few defenders. He linked with Llewelyn Brown, who beat the final man and gave the scoring pass to Morgan Powell.

At the start of the second half, and with the wind at their backs, Brecon’s supporters were hopeful. That hope was dented almost immediately. Just as they had in the first half, they conceded a converted try within four minutes of the restart.

The problem started at the kick-off. Brecon’s chase was good, but inexplicably they allowed flanker Rhodri Evans to catch the ball and break between two chasers. With his fellow flanker, Luke Weaver, continuing the move, the play was finally snuffed out deep in the Brecon 22.

Llewelyn Brown cleared, but off the line-out on halfway the ball went loose. Weaver hacked on. He miskicked his second attempt at a hack, but the ball bounced up straight into his arms and, after some continuity, Jack Gray cut through a bare Brecon midfield to score and make Thomas’ conversion a simple affair.

Encouragingly, Brecon hit back immediately. Morgan Powell made a great break in the centre and linked with Gwilym Workman, who finished near the posts. Brown converted and Brecon were back in the game.

They now pressed hard, but were hampered when two Llewelyn Brown kicks, both of which looked to gain territory in the home 22, bounced as far as the very short dead-ball line, and Brecon were brought back to scrummage in their own half.

Brecon then suffered from their defensive frailties. Wing Nathan Orrells broke and Glynneath put width on the ball. In space, wide on the left, the ball was turned back inside to O’Reilly and he scored his second try, which Thomas converted from out wide.

Now 28 points to 12 down and with 20 minutes to play, Brecon had to respond, and they did. A Brown 50/22 set up the line-out just inside the home 22. Brecon’s maul was held up over the line but, off the goal-line kick-out, Morgan Powell again broke, Keiran Parry drove on and Cory Westermark, who had an excellent game, finished.

Brecon then closed the gap to six points when, off a maul near the home line, hard-working Luke Evans dived over for a try.

Could Brecon now finally take the lead? That was the positive question building among the away support, along with the anxiety felt by the home crowd.

Brecon got close, but with five minutes to go they conceded a series of penalties to allow Glynneath to lift the pressure and win a long-range but kickable penalty. Substitute Owen Jordan completed the task and Brecon were left with just three minutes to play.

The game was lost, but a second bonus point was available. They won the kick-off and a penalty, which they put into touch on the 22. Alwyn Lee delivered clean ball and outside-half Geraint Workman delivered a lovely switch to wing Jack Davis, who put replacement centre Ben Griffin in for a try, which Brown converted to leave Brecon just two points short of the away win they sought.

Back at Parc de Pugh, the Athletic continued their impressive start to their Division 4 campaign with an outstanding 82-17 victory over visitors Ynysowen.