Brecon held on for a tense one-point victory over Llangennech at the weekend in a match that threatened to slip away in the second half.

The hosts had stormed into a 15-point lead before the break but found themselves under pressure after a Llangennech fightback.

With the wind at their backs, Brecon dominated the early exchanges. Osian Davies, making his first start since returning home, carried strongly and disrupted the visitors’ defence. A kick through from Jake Newman forced a clearance which was charged down by Tom Richards, allowing flanker Matthew Williams to claim the loose ball and score.

Just 10 minutes into the game, Brecon added a second try. Osian Davies won a penalty at a breakdown near his own line, and Alwyn Lee secured the resulting line-out on Brecon’s 10-metre line. A well-structured maul carried the ball to halfway, and when it was spun wide, full-back Jake Newman joined the line and fed wing Llewelyn Brown. Brown beat two defenders and then passed back to Newman for the score. Newman’s conversion completed a brilliant team try.

For the next 15 minutes, Brecon held the territorial advantage, but Llangennech won a couple of penalties at scrums and forced a few overthrown line-outs. Eventually, Brecon won a penalty, which Jake Newman kicked to extend their lead to 15 points.

The rest of the half was more even, with Llangennech disrupting Brecon at the breakdown. They came close to scoring before half-time, but a tackle from Joel Price bundled wing Harrison Button into touch.

As the second half began, the gusting wind favoured Llangennech, and Brecon’s 15-point lead suddenly looked precarious. Nine minutes in, Llangennech opened their account. Brecon kicked clear from defence, but centre Lewis Rees gathered the ball and countered with pace. Brecon halted the move down the left inside their 22, but Llangennech recycled and switched right, and wing Tyler Davies scored. The conversion was good, reducing the deficit to eight points with 30 minutes remaining.

Brecon then lost their lead over the next 10 minutes. With Tom Richards in the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on, Rees cut through the depleted midfield to score, and Osian Evans added the conversion and a penalty to put Llangennech ahead by two points.

Facing the gale, Brecon had their work cut out, not only to hold Llangennech but also to regain the lead. After some strong defence, Brecon forced a knock-on, and Llewelyn Brown gathered the loose ball to break upfield. The counter-attack ended with a Brecon line-out inside the visitors’ 22, from which they applied relentless pressure. Prop Owan Dowling Jones made several carries, taking play within five metres of the line. Brecon couldn’t score a try, but won a penalty in front of the posts, and Jake Newman’s kick put them ahead by a single point with 10 minutes remaining.

Brecon held on, despite one final scare when Llangennech earned a kickable penalty. With the wind gusting, Evans’ attempt drifted wide, and Brecon claimed a vital victory.

Next up in their battle to stave off relegation is a trip to second-placed Beddau, away, before a double-header against Bargoed on Saturday 18th, and then the Athletic’s date at the Principality Stadium on Sunday 19th, where they face Bargoed Athletic in the Division 5 Cup Final.