DINBYCH 0

COBRA 13

ALL good things must come to an end.

Division Two (North) leaders Dinbych suffered a reality check as they lost their unbeaten record to a well-drilled and close knit COBRA side.

The visitors' error-free all-round play both in attack and defence in difficult conditions gave them a well-deserved victory.

Dinbych used the advantage of playing with the wind at their backs in the first half to dominate territorially, but they were unable to use it to control the play effectively.

As it turned out, the COBRA forwards had the upper hand in the scrums, while their physicality in open play often turned over possession at static mauls and caused Dinbych to concede penalties at the breakdown.

Equally important was the visitors' defence, with the line speed and tackling of the backs nullifying Dinbych's normally dangerous attacking runners.

Even during lineout time, where lock Gareth Beach - playing his 50th game for the club - gained his usual share of possession, the COBRA forwards often managed to disrupt one of Dinbych's main attacking springboards.

It took COBRA half-an-hour to eventually take play into the Dinbych 22, but they made it count.

Several phases of play took COBRA to within 15 metres of the Dinbych line and the hosts then conceded a penalty.

Scrum half Bryn Davies took a quickly taken tap penalty to go over for the game's only try, which was converted by full back Wil Worthington.

Trailing by seven points at the interval, Dinbych continued to have the better of the game territorially in the second half, with COBRA's main use of the wind being to launch relieving kicks out of defence.

Most of these were infield, where wing Aidyn Jones and Kieran Bonar, playing an assured game at full back, launched counter attacks which are normally one of Dinbych's main try-scoring sources.

However, as in the first half, these came to nothing as they failed to breach COBRA's watertight defence.

COBRA, on the other hand, through their good close support play continued to take their limited chances, with Wil Worthington adding a penalty 20 minutes into the half when the referee overturning a penalty for the hosts.

COBRA also fell foul of the referee as they played for 20 minutes in the second half with 14 men as two forwards were given yellow cards.

Dinbych were unable to capitalise on this, though, and COBRA increased their lead when the home side infringed at a scrum, allowing Worthington to kick his second penalty.

Dinbych continued to attack in the final 10 minutes, with bursts by replacement lock Rory Tolley and flanker Dan Lawrence taking play close to the COBRA line, but these failed due to the lack of close support and a determined COBRA defensive effort.

COBRA held out to the end to gain a well-deserved victory and they will be hoping to repeat this on Saturday when the clubs play the return fixture.

Dinbych know they will have to improve in many aspects of their play if this is to be avoided.