Pontyberem 5 pts. Tenby United 53 - Starting with the same 15 that took to the field last week for the promotion achieving victory against Hendy, Tenby Tourers sponsored Tenby United travelled to Pontyberem for their final league game of the season knowing that a win was essential if they were to come away as league champions.

With the knowledge that a comfortable 57-19 victory was achieved when the two sides met in late November back at Heywood Lane, but also aware that the home side had recovered from a bad patch to win their last four games and climb to sixth position in the table, the confident United took to the field at Heol y Parc in ideal conditions for a free running and open game of rugby, intent on keeping their winning momentum going and to add to the 34 tries racked up in their last five games.

Surprisingly, Pontyberem included in their line-up Nico Setaro from Whitland, who Tenby had faced twice before, when he turned out for his home club as well as Fishguard - so his style of play was well known to the United.

After a bright opening few minutes when Andrew Cooke, Moritz Neumann, Scott James and Jonny Morgan were all prominent, Ashley Sutton slotted over the first of his several successful kicks of the afternoon, giving Tenby the early lead at 3-0.

The home side were undeterred at going behind so early and, using their bulky forwards, tried to regain the upper hand, but the Tenby defence was as usual well organised and held firm.

The same well organised approach in defence was also if force when Pontyberem tried to move the ball wide, but a combination of quick line speed by Tenby and sluggish handling speed by the home side resulted in a stalemate being reached, with nothing threatening emerging.

Taking advantage of quick ball won at the breakdown, Mark Heywood, Luke Hansford and Scott James combined to create an opening for Ashley Sutton, only for an unlucky bounce of the ball to bring the move to a halt.

Undeterred, Tenby kept applying the pressure and the bulky home forwards were already suffering from the pace of the game as the Seasiders maintained their momentum by running the ball at every opportunity.

Their enterprise paid off about 15 minutes into the game when a ball well fielded by wing Mark Heywood provided the platform for yet another attack from deep and, linking with Andrew Cook, Ashley Sutton and Moritz Neumann, the wing was involved once again to release skipper Luke Hansford, who crashed over for the first try of the afternoon. Ashley Sutton was again successful with his kick, taking the score to 10-0.

This unfortunately turned out to be Heywood’s last contribution as in the next attacking move he damaged a foot/ankle and was forced to leave the field, being replaced by the versatile Jack Guerreiro.

Tenby were obviously in the mood to continue to play open running rugby, with the freedom to do this encouraged by the coaching team, and, with controlled execution and nothing reckless undertaken, they were slowly taking full control of the game and it wouldn’t be too long before they exploited their dominance by running the home side ragged.

To keep the scoreboard (and home announcer occupied), Ashley Sutton fired over a penalty from the halfway line to extend the lead to 13-0, which was very quickly followed by the second try of the afternoon, with Luke Dedman fielding the restart and setting up a ruck with a forceful charge at the onrushing Pontyberem forwards. The quick ball won at the breakdown allowed the Tenby half-backs to release centres Scott James and Moritz Neumann, who linked with a mega mobile Rob Clarke, who was involved in the move twice, freeing Luke Hansford, who flipped the ball to his back row colleague, Andrew Cooke, who crossed the whitewash for an excellent team try. Adding the extras with the conversion, Sutton took the scores out to 20-0.

Turning the screw within minutes of the second try, industrious flanker Andrew Cook seized on a loose ball and set off on a searing run, slicing through what defence the home side could muster, and with his mobile second row team-mate on his shoulder, he passed the ball to Dedman, who trotted over for another converted try for what was now a very comfortable and well earned 27-point lead.

To say the home side were dispirited would be an understatement; heads were down as they were reluctantly accepting the total dominance that Tenby had now established over the game.

Their spirits were given a boost just before half-time, however, when, influenced by the home side supporters baying for blood, referee Adrian Slade sent Barry Parsons to the naughty step for a very marginal late tackle.

The final scoring opportunity of the half fell to a confident Ashley Sutton, who was just inches wide with a penalty attempt from eight metres inside his own half, awarded for a yellow-carded tackle by Wayne Williams on Luke Dedman, and moments later referee Slade blew his whistle for the half-time break.

Within minutes of the restart, the yellow card was out again when the referee sent the home side’s winger to the naughty step for a high tackle on Jonny Morgan, who shook off any effect that might have had on him by going over for the all-important fourth try bonus point score, benefiting from quick ball off the top of the lineout by Luke Dedman and with Sutton and James combining, winning the chase from a probing kick through to take the score out to 32-0.

Although still early in the second half, the home side just didn’t want to know and would have loved to have been somewhere else on this brilliant sunny afternoon and were even at this stage dying to hear referee Slade blow for full-time.

To rub salt into their wounds and add to their misery, Andrew Cooke miraculously emerged from a maul carrying the ball, when it had been taken in by the home side, and set Ashley Sutton free. Being targeted by the stretched home defence, Sutton hoofed the ball towards the Pontyberem line and a wicked bounce took it straight in the direction of the chasing Jack Guerreiro, who joyfully crossed for a try, which Sutton converted, extending the lead to39-0

Despite being a well beaten side, Pontyberem were still being urged on and encouraged by their noisy band of supporters and the volume got turned up to mega loud when they got some reward for their efforts when, with Luke Dedman on the naughty step for a technical offence, their replacement forward Ryan Morgan crossed the try line; this, despite a crunching tackle being put in by Jack Guerreiro, who stopped the first Pontyberem player that tried to cross the line.

It was time to start using their bench and first it was Joe Poole who replaced the hard-working Dan Allen as the seven-man Tenby pack was brought up to eight when the powerfully-built centre Moritz Neumann slotted in at number eight and, skilfully picking up from the base of the next scrum on the halfway line, broke on the blindside and linked with wing Jack Guerreiro, who outflanked the remains of the home defence to go over unopposed under the sticks, providing an opportunity for Ashley Sutton to build of his healthy points contribution and take the match score out to 46-5.

Alex Thomas and Charlie Patching were the next to join the action, replacing skipper Luke Hansford and Mike Davis, who had both been excellent, with both replacements being keen to join in the attacking game they had watched develop from the sidelines.

Despite these changes, Tenby continued to dominate against a very dispirited home side, who were now only managing to put up some token defence against a confident United side, who knew that they would be coming off the park as champions.

With the final replacement coming on, with Ethan Morgan replacing Rob Luly, Tenby kept throwing the ball around as if it was a training session at Heywood Lane.

They continued to maintain their momentum, with tap and go’s being taken from any penalty infringement spotted and given by referee Slade, with scrum-half Morgan the main instigator and livewire flanker Andrew Cooke always on his shoulder.

Their enterprise was rewarded when Moritz Neumann, Ashley Sutton and Jonny Morgan combined to release Sutton to score the seventh try, which he converted, to bring his match total to an impressive 23 points and 109 for the season.

Despite there being around 10 minutes of the game still to play, referee Slade was approached by the Pontyberem captain pleading for him to blow for time which, sympathising with the home side, he duly did following the next scrum.

This allowed the jubilant Tenby players and supporters to enjoy the celebrations that followed, eventually leaving the pitch proudly holding the divisional winners trophy, presented by Gordon Eynon, the WRU Divisional H representative from Crymych.

Going into the match, Tenby had four options open to them, namely:

1. Lose to Pontyberem, followed by a defeat against Aberystwyth tonight, which would have been a bit of sour way to finish the season, even though it still involved being promoted.

2. Beat Pontyberem and get rewarded by being crowned champions of Division Two West, but lose to Aberystwyth tonight, still a disappointing way to end the season.

3. Lose to Pontyberem, but win the Pembrokeshire Knockout Cup by beating Aberystwyth, with promotion achieved (albeit as runners-up) and lift the prestigious trophy after a gap of three years.

4. The final variation, beat Pontyberem and become champions, as well as walking away with the cup and so ending up as cup winners and champions. This is an achievement that Tenby United managed in season 1988/89, winning the Pembrokeshire Championship (as it was then known) and beating Whitland 16-7 in the Cup Final.

With those four options now reduced to two, the team, coaching and management staff and all supporters will be hoping that when they take on Aberystwyth at Crymych this (Friday) evening, it is a year of the double, after all, they have been waiting 28 seasons for it to happen.

Tenby fielded: Jonny Morgan, Mark Heywood (Jack Guerreiro), Scott James, Moritz Neumann, Jordan Asparassa, Ashley Sutton, Matthew Morgan, Rob Luly (Ethan Morgan), Dan Allen (Joe Poole), Rob Clarke, Luke Dedman, Mike Davis (Charlie Patching), Andrew Cooke, Barry Parsons, Luke Hansford (Alex Thomas).