After the disappointment of defeat at Ebbw Vale, Llandovery got some of their confidence back with a five-tries-to-three win over the Ravens in wet and windy conditions.

There was a particularly fine performance 19-year-old flanker Tiaan Sparrow - a product of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman and Coleg Sir Gar – who was here, there and everywhere in attack and defence as well as crashing through for a brace of tries.

After Ebbw Vale’s surprise 12-5 defeat at Newport, the Drovers go to the top of the SRC table on 26 points, after the completion of a third of the league programme.

They ran in five tries against Bridgend to bring their season’s tally to 27 in six games.

The 17 points difference of margin gave them an extra bonus point, but it was only in patches that they showed their true form.

Two early tries looked the forerunner of a scoring bonanza but a combination of Bridgend grit, Llandovery inaccuracy, squad changes and hostile conditions made for a game that will not be remembered for long.

There were, however, encouraging performances from a batch of youngsters who are being given game time by coach Euros Evans.

Sparrow is already being talked about as a special talent but there was also game time for a bunch of ambitious Scarlets teenagers in prop Jac Pritchard, lock Kai Jones, centre Gryff Watkins and fly-half Steffan-Jac Jones.

Their gradual integration and careful assimilation into senior rugby reflects huge credit on the touch, man management and evaluation of Llandovery coaches Evans, Gareth Potter and Nic Cudd.

Bridgend, heavily beaten by Pontypool in their previous outing, looked shaky from the start and although they recovered some poise in the second half, they ended well beaten.

A club of such great tradition will not have been happy to see replacement prop Marc Thomas dismissed on 57 minutes for a homophobic comment directed at young referee Lucas Yendle.

Ravens coach Scott Baldwin was highly critical of some of Yendle’s decisions in his post-match comments but also bemoaned the inability of his side’s to finish off chances in the last 10 minutes when they enjoyed far the better of the game.

A chip ahead by wing Kian Abraham made the first Llandovery try for supporting scrum-half George MacDonald, soon followed by one from wing Tomi Lewis after clever footwork from elusive full back Jac Davies.

Bridgend recovered when lock Dylan Burrows intercepted a loose pass to gallop up field before a close-range line-out saw No 8 Tom Jevons twist over to make it 14-5.

A yellow card for home hooker Cameron Lewis for a tip tackle had little effect as the ubiquitous Sparrow twice increased the lead from close range to leave it 28-5 at the break.

The Ravens got back into the game with a clever piece of footwork by full back Edd Howley who dribbled the ball, soccer style, some 40 metres for a rare score.

A harsh yellow card for Bridgend wing Ben Evans after an early tackle was soon punished by an outflanking try by Abraham, fly-half Ioan Hughes adding his fifth conversion in five attempts.

Marc Thomas’s infamous remark, caught by the S4C viewers, suggested that the Ravens might be overwhelmed in the latter stages.

Strangely, the sending off seemed to galvanise the visitors to dominate up front and Llandovery had to face attack and attack on their own line for long periods.

One magnificent in-goal tackle by No 8 Osain Davies kept out replacement scrum half Chris Williams until replacement Lloyd Wilkins eventually forced his way over out wide.

Llandovery travel this Saturday to take on Cardiff at the Arms Park

Tries: T Sparrow (2), G MacDonald, T Lewis, K Abraham

Cons: I Hughes (5)

Tries: T Jevons, E Howley, L Wilkins

Con: B Burnell

Llandovery: J Davies; T Lewis, Adam Warren, R Jones, K Abraham; I Hughes, G MacDonald; J Hughes, C Lewis, G Hawley, C Long, J Powell (capt), G Evans, O Davies, T Sparrow

Replacements: F Thomas, J Morse, J Pritchard, K Jones, J Evans, G Watkins, S-J Jones, L Rees

Bridgend: E Howley; B Evans J Gatt, B Burnell, M Rowley; L Price, H Nash; H Olding, TOlding, N Evans, E Hill, D Burrows, A Thomas, T Jevons, Z O’Driscoll (capt)

Replacements: A George, M Thomas, O Hatherill, J Owen, J Richards, C Williams, F Jones, L Wilkins