Barry remain without a win in the Admiral League after a 32-15 defeat at St Joseph's in Division One East Central.
A much-improved performance at Maes Y Coed Road on Saturday saw the Bombers double their try tally for the season, but they were left counting the cost of errors with their early and late scores not enough to save them from a fourth straight defeat
Barry’s pack endured a difficult first half against a more streetwise home eight. But unforced errors, mainly in the lineout, also put them under pressure - something they largely managed to cut out in the second half.
“We have to tighten up,” said head coach Mike Morgan. “At this level, mistakes cost points, so we have to minimise mistakes. It’s fine margins."
"Too many mistakes in the lineout cost us, and probably two St Joseph’s tries wouldn’t have happened but for those errors. We have to sharpen up in certain areas.”
Some questionable official decisions put Barry on the back foot in the first half. St Joes’ driving scrums claimed two tries before the interval and they had the bonus of a penalty try five minutes into the second half.
Barry started well with Rhys Powell giving them the lead after eight minutes, bursting through a couple of tackles to round off early pressure. “We asked them to start well,” said Morgan, “and you can’t start better than that.”
But as decisions went against them, together with self-inflicted lineout problems, it needed a dogged defensive display to restrict St Joes to a 10-5 interval lead.
Despite a far more effective Barry lineout in the second half, St Joes managed to add a fourth try following a fortuitous bounce and a fifth from a driving lineout- the one time Barry couldn’t stop it.
“At all other times our pack did a great job on that,” said Morgan. “I did like what we did well. We stuck to the game plan, carried really well, supported really well. And our defence was generally good."
"There was much more togetherness on the park, and that’s down to consistency in training, consistency in the team we are putting out.”
Unfortunately, Barry’s second half improvement only paid off late on, with Aled Rees taking a quick tap in the 70th minute and darting through for their second try, and Alyn Evans driving over in the 77th minute with quick hands setting up the opening.
But the last word went to St Joes - whose penalty with the clock in the red increased the margin of defeat.
Meanwhile, Joe Gatt suffered an ankle injury ten minutes into the second half, and was taken to hospital. He will be having physio on the sprained ankle, which will sideline him for an indefinite period.
St Joseph’s scorers:
Tries: Olly Young (28, 68), Will Meades (21), Iwan Dawes (56), penalty try (45)
Conversion – Dawes; penalty – Dawes.
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Elsewhere in the Vale, Penarth got back to winning ways in Division One with a 32-25 victory at home to Abercynon.
Cowbridge retained their 100% start in Division Two after a 31-23 win at home to Cardiff Quins, but Llantwit Major's mixed start in Division Three continued with a 54-5 defeat to early leaders CR Cymry Caerdydd.
In Division Four, Dinas Powys ran out 38-20 winners at Old Illtydians and in Division Five, Old Penarthians went down 38-3 at Caerau Ely.
There are home games for both Division One teams next Saturday when Barry entertain Rhiwbina and Penarth take on Porth Harlequins.
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