 | KONICA MINOLTA CUP SEMI Cardiff (13) 13
Tries: Morris, Malpas
Pen: Macleod Pontypridd (14) 23
Tries: Lockyear, Roberts
Cons: Flanagan (2)
Pens: Flanagan (2)
DG: Flanagan |
Pontypridd won the battle of the Blues regional feeder clubs as they advanced to the final of the Konica Minolta Cup. Cardiff's pack were on top in the first half at Newport's Rodney Parade, tries for Geraint Morris and James Malpas.
But two rare Pontypridd attacks yielded scores for Dafydd Lockyear and Scott Roberts, Dai Flanagan's conversions giving them a 14-13 lead at the break.
Ponty went up a gear in the second period, shutting out Cardiff while Flanagan added nine more points.
The other semi is between Neath and Maesteg at Aberavon on Sunday, with the final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on 6 May.
Pontypridd opened the scoring in the sixth minute, man-of-the-match Tom Riley making a fine break on halfway before sending centre partner Lockyear clear for the try.
Cardiff - with their back row in rampant form - were dominating possession, though, and a driving maul from a line-out led to a try for prop Morris.
Ponty captain and talisman Dale McIntosh was carried off with a rib injury, and his side lost the lead when Nick Macleod slotted a penalty.
But on a rare incursion into the Cardiff half, Gareth Jones made a telling break.
The scrum-half's pack continued the move, and hooker Leighton Davies' delightful pop-up ball from the floor sent front-row partner Roberts in for Pontypridd's second try.
Fly-half Flanagan's second conversion made it 14-8, but the Blue and Blacks' back row spearheaded a fightback.
After a series of short-range charges, ex-Pontypridd number eight Malpas had the strength to burst over, although the grounding was controversial.
Macleod missed his second conversion, leaving Ponty with a one-point lead at the break.
That was soon extended by two Flanagan penalties, Cardiff being forced to offend as the valleys side's pack stepped up their challenge.
Despite Pontypridd's control, a converted score would still have given Cardiff the win on the try count rule.
But the unflappable Flanagan coolly slotted a 78th-minute drop goal under pressure to take his team out of reach.
Pontypridd man-of-the-match Tom Riley:
"It's always a big match against Cardiff and that was a hard-fought game. "Fair play to the boys, they did well to hang in there in the first 40 and the defence was superb.
"We got into it in the second half, the key was securing more possession."
Cardiff: J. Roberts, E. Jones, D. Hewitt, R. Davies, Andrews, Macleod, Isaacs, Anderson, Morris, Leaman, N. Trevett, N. Trevett, Meredith, Stamatakis, Malpas, Gravell.
Replacements: J. Hill, R. Gill, C. Jones, Lewis, Coles, Murphy, Hampson.
Pontypridd: Pocock, Clayton, Riley, Lockyear, Nuthall, D. Flanagan, G. Jones, S. Williams, Davies, S. Roberts, McIntosh, Harrington, L. Evans, Strong, R. Shellard.
Replacements: Dickens, Matthews, Stoddart, Phillips, R. Harford, Powell, Dikomedis.
Referee: Hugh Watkins (WRU).
MMIX
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The key was securing more possession