Maesteg bin and blown it

Jan 6 2008 Wales On Sunday

Ebbw Vale 28 Maesteg 13

CARDIFF referee Neil Ballard harshly handed bottom club Maesteg four yellow cards that hit their chances of a bonus point.

They played 33 minutes with 14 men and seven with 13 after prop Steve Tremlett and flanker Matthew Davies were sin-binned in the first half.

Trailing 8-0 to the first of prop Ian George’s two tries and a penalty from centre Aaron Bramwell, they did not concede with two men down, before, back to 15, George grabbed his second try for a 13-3 half time lead.

Another Bramwell penalty and a try by scrum-half Brian Shelbourne put Vale 23-3 ahead after 53 minutes, but Hocking put left wing Grant Epton over from a scrum for Smithson to convert.

But when Hocking went in the bin and Bramwell pounced again, the visitors were left feeling like the proverbial dog kicked when it’s down.

Ebbw Vale: Tries – I George (2), B Shelbourne, A Bramwell; cons – Bramwell; pens – Bramwell (2)

Maesteg: Tries – G Epton; cons – P Smithson; pens – Smithson (2)