With Saturday's storms decimating local rugby the Warriors were only too pleased to travel to Aberavon Green Stars when their own pitch was unplayable to ensure the game went ahead.

Having lost earlier in the season, the Warriors would of course have preferred home advantage but they managed to edge this enthralling encounter. The Warriors showed their intent early on, spinning the ball wide at the first opportunity. The loose game suited them and they got off to a good start when centre Mathew Hinder found some space, then some more and managed to avoid the cover all the mazy way to the line.
More early momentum saw the Warriors threatening the line, prop Richard Evans was just held up, but the efforts in thwarting him left the defence bare and centre Jon Kearney crossed two passes later.

from there the momentum changed. The Panthers strength was up fron as ably demonstrated by some powerful runs that scattered defenders. The pressure turned to penalties and they camped on the Warriors line, one try came directly from a rolling maul, another from the debris of a defence that it left.

It wasn't a half for kickers though and so it was 10 apiece at the half way point.

The match was similar in the second half. The Warriors rapier thrusts covering more ground, they tended to have more of the territory but the Panthers' tamk, their forwards, rumbled about menacingly. It was a hard battle with no quarter asked or given and there was plenty of determined steely defence from both teams. The Warriors edged ahead when Aled Herbert followed up a forwards surge with a quick dart as the match entered the final stages. There was a yellow card for each sides after yet another 'robust argument' and Warriors impressive debutant Cerith Mcally also saw yellow for making contact with the head.
The Panthers forced a mistake in mid field and sped away to score under the posts. With 10 minutes to go and a conversion under the posts, it looked like they would snatch victory, but a missed conversion left the scores 15 all with the clock ticking. Next was a Warriors penalty in front of the posts but the 7th missed kick of the match meant that still nothing separated the teams.
It took the best move of the match to break the stalemate. Returning a kick at pace, the Warriors cut through and fed wing James Anthony to flash over out wide with just minutes to spare. He finally landed a kick to restore the Warriors lead.
With the clock running down the Panthers moved the ball wide but a mistake allowed the Warriors to hack through and claim an extra score through Jamie Evans. The fly half celebrated his 150th appearance by slotting the conversion to end the game.

The score line certainly flattered the Warriors who couldn't have complained if it had been a draw but they were indebted to the strong running of Dai Haines and hard work of 2nd row Matthew Miller in securing the result. Aled Herbert was later named Warriors' Man of the Match. It was hard on the Panthers who deserved more, especially their pack, though wing Leif Thobroe was named their Man of the Match for some robust defence that stopped three dangerous attacks.

Warriors XV: Dan John, James Anthony, Mathew Hinder, Jonathan Kearney (Adam Fussell), Cain Rodwell (Simon Day), Jamie Evans**, Gwilym Lewis, Richard Evans (Mark Lewis, Stefan Marshall), Dan Grinter (Tom Davies, Luke Pearse), Steffan Wyn James (Cerith McNally*, Dai Haines), Lloyd Crawley (Kallum Morgan), Matthew Miller (Darren Pollitt), Nathan Lawson (Jordan Jones), Tomos Hall (Cpt), Ronan Lewis (Aled Herbert, Lloyd Herbert)
Referee: Kieron Morgan
*Debutant **150th Appearance
So a last minute change of venue and into the Panthers lair rather than home at Burry Port, but even the lift share worked without issue on this one. A steely performance worth of the industrial backdrop and a very satisfying result.
Dick of the Day was also a strong contest with Jamie's cock up in mid field looking like it would cost us the game, Lance not being able to work out 1 or 2 and Luke not helping Fussy in his hour of need. The game was also notable for Gringo getting concussed, Cerith getting yellow carded and the Herbert brawds trying to out do each other (to which Jamie says F K OFF)
Thanks to the Panthers - especially AJ and Benny for sorting things out so the game went ahead and for a great game of rugby - hard but fair.