Fixture

            Travelling South a short distance to Carmarthen Quins in near perfect weather conditions bore success once again for Lampeter Youth in their fourth straight win of the season across all competitions. Without several of their key players,a reworking of the backline along with a rejigging of the pack paid dividends as the successful side scored four tries past their illustrious neighbours. Whilst the Carmarthen side were nowhere near as physical as their previous opposition Felinfoel, they did have a skill set which saw them pressurise the young Ceredigion outfit.

        Early slick handling resulted in plucky Outside Half Sam Worthington slotting from distance an early three points for the visitors.Worthington proved the catalyst soon afterwards as he broke the defensive line offloading neatly to Inside Centre Garth Jones who delivered the neatest of passes for Right Wing Iwan Ifans to outpace the cover defence to score on his first start for the Maroons. Worthington casually added the extras from the touchline with Lampeter starting to sense it may be their day with a ten point early lead. One thing is for sure games swing to and fro in this league with small margins for error such is the pace of the game with even referees struggling to keep up with play let alone Youth Captain and Prop Owen John Heath,nephew of infamous Prime Minister Edward. Spreading the ball has been Coach Gerallt Thomas's and Gizmo Jones' mantra this season with Left Winger Matt Jenkins breaking down the left flank only to be clobbered illegally so by the cover defence with a high tackle. Ridiculously without any warning to the ill disciplined home side the referee awarded the penalty mark right on the touchline,perhaps unaware of the current ruling of moving any penalty within that area to the 5m infield mark! Still, from the resulting lineout Lampeter mauled their way towards the home tryline with Jac Jones and James Edwards prominent in orchestrating the rumbling forward rolling maul. Whilst it seemed they would go all the way the move splintered as excellent Openside Ivan Davies popped a deft pass to Scrum Half Gethin Davies who jinked his way over the line much to the delight of the large travelling support with Gethin also making his presence felt on his first start of the season. Worthington once again knocked the extras over as his first half with the boot proved excellent. Conceding their second try proved to wake up the Quins as they began asserting dominance at Scrum time with the two rookies in the Lampeter front row being bored across the scrum on every occasion not being patrolled by the ref. Lampeter will have to get smart to this tactic and insist on front rows driving straight as this proved a great tactic for the Quins. Losing a little shape in the latter stages of the half,Lampeter were penalised at ruck time for offside offences as the Quins moved up the field closer to the visitor's try line. Whilst the Maroon defence held initially a quickly taken penalty from 5m out fed home Number 8, Tom Penny to brush aside the cover scramble defence just on the stroke of half time offered the Quins real hope for the second half of mounting a comeback. The setback of losing Flanker Bradley Lewis proved costly as concentration seemed to lack a little in the second half with quite a few changes to their usual line up. Losing a scrum against the head just after half time caught the Maroon defence with their pants down as Left winger Jenkins was left for dead by his opposite number who raced clear for a unconverted try as being out late the night before came back to haunt many players in the second half. However,from the restart crisp passing took play up field with linkman Davies combining with fellow back row players for the industrious John Heath to take a well deserved try to calm some nerves of the men in Maroon. The situation went from bad to worse moments later as the imperious Worthington took an elbow to the head leaving the playmaker dazed and confused as he left the field of play with Quins looking stronger by the minute in the final quarter. Times like this is what makes players with Callum Wilson slotting into 10,Jenkins to Centre with Gavin Evans making his season debut on the wing. Great defence by Flanker Davies thwarted the home side time and time again as he turned ball over with no regard for his own personal safety, taking a boot to the mouth for his troubles. Under constant pressure the try finally came with Quins barging through under the posts as the game threatened to get ugly with players frustrations boiling over. Soon after and against the run of play, quick ball led to the Maroon backs shipping swiftly to Right Wing Ifans who once again finished with aplomb enhancing his desire for a regular starting place in the side with a brace for his side. In the final minutes Wilson could do little to stop the pressing Quins side yet again gaining territory as the Maroons were again penalised at the breakdown with Number 8, Penny prominent in carrying for the Quins. From a lineout near their own line Reuben Beddoe snatched possession only for Lampeter to be found guilty of isolating themselves instead of clearing their lines giving the penalty to the Quins who once again kicked to the corner and strangely so given their dominance up front. Beddoe once again stole the show with a try saving tackle close to the line dis-lodging the ball with the final whistle ringing out the end of proceedings. With bodies battered and bruised Lampeter knew they had been in a real battle with the proud Quins side.Whilst there were so many candidates for Man of the Match, Ivan Davies scooped the accolade for his link play along with his mental and physical hardness in playing through a nasty facial injury in the second half. Winning away from home down at Carmarthen Quins meant a lot to these players, yet other sides in the League will not take Lampeter lightly from here on in as Furnace come to North Road next Saturday with a 2.30pm kick off up at the clubhouse.