Fixture

The early exchanges set the tone for the match. Bala used their excellent fullback to make ground and their kick and chase ploy was effective initially. On ten minutes however a searing Pwllheli counter saw fullback Brunelli bursting clear of the oncoming cover . He timed his pass to the supporting Owain Williams and the fly half ran the  ball in unopposed from forty metres. Osian P. Jones added the conversion. The match then became a wrestle between two committed packs. Pwllheli had a slight edge in the scrums while Bala shaded the linesout. With the referee allowing the game to flow there was decent ball in play time. Pwllheli were camped close to the Bala line for minutes at a time but their driving maul was not effective. Pwllheli were disrupted as they saw fly half Owain Williams limp off with a knee injury. Bala used the breeze well to gain ground and they came back strongly in the latter stages of the first half. They were duly rewarded with a well struck penalty by fly half Rhydian Jones to reduce the deficit to seven points to three. They kept up the pressure and ouflanked the Pwllheli defence for hooker Endaf Jones  to score a try wide out on the right . The conversion missed and  the half ended with no further scoring.

The second period saw Pwllheli in the ascendancy in the early exchanges. They pressured the Bala line but Bala's defence was organised and effective. It was a second penalty from Osian P. Jones which broke the deadlock to give Pwllheli a slender lead of ten points to eight. Jones added his third successful  kick to take Pwllheli thirteen to eight in bthe lead.The home side rallied yet again and two penalties by Rhydian Jones gave them a one point lead. The Lleyn side thought they had scored their second try but Geraint Parry's jubilation was short lived as the pass to him was deemed to have been forward. Pwllheli made a raft of substitutions and gradually the pendulum swung back their way. With only three minutes of normal time to go on the clock full back Brunelli was inches short of scoring but Bala were penalised for offside. From the ensuing play Osian P.Jones slotted a neat drop goal  to take Pwllheli ahead by sixteen points to  fourteen.

Fo0ur minutes into extra time Bala were awarded a penalty on the half way line. With the referee saying  this was the last play Bala had to  chance a long range kick at goal. As it was the attempt was short and wide. Ifan Pyrs gratefully picked up the loose ball and hoofed it into touch to end the game.

The result could have gone either way but Pwllheli deserved the win. The had more try scoring opportunities and at least tried to vary the structure of the game.Once again this was not a game for the purists with the teams cancelling themselves out and too many errors from both sides. However it is a  while since Pwllheli won at Bala so they will be happy to take the four points.

Pwllheli unfortunately picked up a few injuries during the Bala game and they add to the difficulties of getting cohesion within the team.The pack are quite settled but the backs have had to undergo a series of enforced changes.

Pwllheli have a home Swalec Plate cup tie on Saturday. The visitors COBRA had an impressive away win at Llandudno on Saturday so they will travel to the Lleyn with their tails up. Kick off is at 2.30.

Pwllheli Seconds also have an important Gwynedd Cup match against Second Division North team Harlech. This is a repeat of last year's Gwynedd Cup Final which Harlech won.

The Youth side continue their unbeaten start to the season with an encouraging forty six to five over visitors Denbigh 

Saturday's results leaves Pwllheli as third in Division 1 North,the seconds lie second in the North Wales Seco9nds  League and the Youths are second in North  Wales Youth Division 1.