Neath V Cross Keys
Saturday 16th April 2005, 2.30pm KO

MATCH REPORT (by Phil Space)

NEATH 89 CROSS KEYS 10
A brilliant second-half performance saw the dazzling Welsh All Blacks take a massive step towards the Welsh Premier title against injury-hit Cross Keys who had the misfortune to run into a Neath side brimming with confidence and intent that brought them a remarkable 70 unanswered points in the second-half.

The Evening Post's intrepid reporter Tony Poole was sent scurrying for the record books as James Hook overcame a slightly shaky start to establish a new Neath individual record and equal the all-time Welsh League record with a personal haul of 39 points - previously shared by Shaun Connor and Colin Stephens - and flanker John McPhail bagged four tries.

But it was all so different early in the first-half when Neath struggled to get their game together and Cross Keys audaciously took the lead through an interception try by centre Nathan Williams that full back Gethin Worgan converted. Neath asserted themselves through their forwards with McPhail going over for a lineout drive, then flanker Tom Smith bagged his first League try from a retreating Keys scrum and Hook goaled. A Worgan penalty pegged Neath back before Pat Horgan and Smith combined to send Hook sliding through for a try that he converted himself.

At only 19-10, Keys must have felt they were in with a chance but any ambitions they may have harboured were cruelly rocked as the Neath forwards took up the cudgels and the Blacks hit them with a blast of four converted tries in 11 minutes. Wing Aled Brew bagged the first then Hook sliced through for his second before two really scintillating tries came from replacement Lee Beach and flanker McPhail. Hook converted them all.

When Neath hit 49 points, they became the first side to tally 1,000 points in the League and it was the silky running of Hook that brought him his hat-trick. With Keys flanker Dan Dark in the sin-bin, there was no stopping replacement prop Andrew Howell as he powered over for Neath's ninth try of the afternoon.

The composed Hook was not missing with the conversions and he added the finishing touches to tries by McPhail who got two more in a grandstand finish, Lee Beach and fellow replacement Andrew Llewellyn.

Gnoll followers have never before seen such a procession with 70 points scored in the second-half but shell-shocked Keys did not go away empty-handed as Brian Thomas nominated their livewire hooker Gerwyn Price for man-of-the-match as his all-round skills were evident even against the torrent that was the Men in Black.

Next Saturday's game against Ebbw Vale kicks off at 5.30 pm and the Blacks will be able to put the title all but mathematically beyond Newport if they win again.

Neath v Cross Keys - G.Morris (captain); A.Brew, A.Bishop, W.Mitchell (N.Clapham), A.Bevan; J.Hook, P.Horgan (Mark Davies); P.Jones (A.Howell), E.Shervington (A.Littlehales), C.Griffiths; I.Evans (C.Gittins), S.Martin; T.Smith (L.Beach), B.Davies (A.Llewellyn), J.McPhail