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Hudgell heads Goodwick to Cup glory

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GOODWICK United’s Lee Hudgell headed his side to a second West Wales Cup win in two years as they beat Penlan 1-0 in the West Wales Cup Final at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea.

The Pheonix boys won the Cup in 2016 as part of their historic treble winning season and they were keen to get their hands on the cup once again.

There was a good crowd of 674 and they witnessed a close game which could have gone either way.

Goodwick nearly went ahead after thirty seconds as Jordan Griffiths won the ball and headed on to Lee Hudgell who crossed into the box for Jonny Horgan but his volleyed effort went wide.

With five minutes gone Griffiths played Horgan in down the left but his shot again went just wide of the right hand post.

On eight minutes Wayne O’Sullivan brought down Penlan’s Darren Rowe on the edge of the box giving them a good opportunity. Dale Otten took the kick but Jamees Gwilt made an excellent save to deny him.

Moments later Jordan Griffiths danced his way through a number of players in the box but his shot was eventually saved by Penlan keeper Marcus Collins and the rebound was blocked wide.

Penlan’s Luke Chappell then came close but his curled effort went wide of the right hand post. Luke Dallin also found space down the left but his cross was blocked well by Stefan Hayes.

With twenty minutes gone Chappell won the ball back and Dallin took over but his shot also went wide of the posts.

Goodwick’s Horgan was causing problems down the left and when he was fouled after he made a cross the referee blew for a free kick and Kyle Barrett picked up the first yellow card of the game. The free kick was sent into the box but straight into the arms of the Penlan keeper.

Penlan’s Dallin then passed into the middle for Rowe but his goalbound effort was saved by Gwilt.

Kieran O’Brien then found space to run into the Penlan half and he passed to Griffiths but his shot on the turn was blocked.

Penlan looked to break and a great pass found Barrett but as he was about to pull the trigger, Llyr Tobin got back to make an excellent tackle.

Six minutes before half time, Dallin found Chappell whose shot was saved well by Gwilt but it wouldn’t have counted had it gone in as the linesman flagged for offside.

Dallin was proving a handful for Goodwick and he won a free kick on the left edge of the box which he took and had to be blocked wide by Goodwick’s defenders.

The half time whistle went with the score still locked at 0-0 and both sides were still in with a chance of lifting the cup.

There was a scrappy start to the second half as both sides committed fouls, one of which saw Wayne O’Sullivan booked.

It was Goodwick who had the first real chance of the second half ten minutes in as Hudgell crossed into the box but the ball was headed over by Penlan, away from the waiting O’Brien. From the resulting corner Horgan’s kick was headed in at the front post by Lee Hudgell.

Griffiths then had a chance to double Goodwick’s lead but his effort was blocked wide for a corner.

With twenty minutes to go, Goodwick’s Chris O’Sullivan was injured and he had to be brought off and replaced by Matty Delaney.

Matty was straight in on the action as he beat his man down the left before running into the box and stopping on the byline. Penlan keeper Collins came for the ball and appeared to catch Matty but no penalty was given.

Llyr Tobin was then sent off with ten minutes to go for a second bookable offence and Goodwick would have to hold on with ten men.

Penlan sent a number of crosses into the box but Goodwick dealt with them well. Otten had a chance from one such cross but he gave away a foul as he headed over.

James Gwilt, who had not had much to do, was alert as he punched away another free kick and the rebound was fired over.

Four minutes of added time were signalled and Gwilt again did well to pluck a dangerous cross out of the air.

Gwilt punched another free kick away and that sent Johnny Horgan through but his shot went agonisingly wide of the posts.

Penlan pushed but the final whistle went meaning Goodwick were West Wales Cup Champions yet again!

After the match, the Herald caught up with keeper Gwilt who said: “We’re delighted, the boys worked extremely hard and we ground it out and managed to win the cup.

“I’ve got a great back four in front of me so they make my life easy and we managed to keep them out so it is a great win.”

Chris O’Sullivan added: “It’s great for the club, for what it does throughout the season, it’s a great compliment to our team. It’s a professionally run club and everybody deserves it, they’ve worked hard for it.

“Both teams created a lot of chances first half and could have taken the lead. 0-0 at half time was a bit disappointing because we had some great chances but we knew we were always going to create chances and it was just a case of taking one of those and we know how to see a game out, we’re really well drilled and once we scored I was confident in seeing it through.”

Asked how the sending off affected the team, Chris said: “We work on things like that, we banked up with two banks of four, a coach of mine taught me that really well, Sean Cresser, so that experience in working alongside him helped us today, it worked, we’ve seen it out so it’s great for the club.”

Sport

This weekend’s Division 4 West rugby roundup

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THE latest fixtures in Division 4 West delivered intense clashes, narrow escapes, and exhilarating victories as teams showcased their determination and skill. Here’s a breakdown of the matches and standout moments.

Dreigiau Emlyn 7-10 St Davids

St Davids claimed a narrow 10-7 win over Dreigiau Emlyn in a hard-fought match. Celt Davies put Dreigiau Emlyn on the scoreboard with a try, converted by Llew Morgan. St Davids responded with tries from Ethan Griffiths and Dan Murphy, with Bob Froy converting one. Despite Dreigiau Emlyn’s strong defensive stand, St Davids held on for a slim victory.

Llangwm 23-21 Pembroke Dock

In a thrilling contest, Llangwm edged out Pembroke Dock by just two points, finishing 23-21. George James led Llangwm’s scoring with a try, two conversions, and three penalties. Gethin Thomas added a try, pushing Llangwm into a narrow lead. Pembroke Dock fought back with tries from Harry Owen, Danny Wilkes, and Morgan Rogers, all converted by Ben Hathaway. However, Llangwm’s precise penalty kicks clinched the close contest.

Llanybydder 24-31 Pembroke

Pembroke emerged victorious in a high-scoring 31-24 match against Llanybydder. Llanybydder displayed resilience with tries from Arwel Williams, Matthew Rollings, Ifan Mason-Evans, and Griff Morgans, two of which were converted by Rollings. Pembroke’s offense proved too strong, with tries from Robin Badham, Jack Oliver, Fraser James, Dai Rogers, and Toby Edwards, alongside three conversions by Josh Greenwood. Pembroke’s offensive depth secured the win in this lively encounter.

Neyland 20-23 Narberth Athletic

Narberth Athletic pulled off a close 23-20 victory over Neyland, with Shane Rossiter at the heart of the action, scoring all of Narberth’s points through three tries, two penalties, and a conversion. Neyland responded admirably, with tries from Luke Griffiths-Dawes (2) and Josh Watts, while Oli Rothero added a conversion and a penalty. Rossiter’s consistent performance under pressure proved decisive, securing Narberth Athletic’s hard-earned win.

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Sport

WRU to apologise over contract dispute but denies sexism claims

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THE WELSH RUGBY UNION has announced it will apologise for its handling of contract negotiations with the senior women’s team but refutes recent allegations of sexism.

WRU Chair Richard Collier-Keywood and Chief Executive Abi Tierney acknowledged significant failings in the process, admitting that it is “absolutely clear” the governing body owes an apology to the players.

WRU Chair Richard Collier-Keywood acknowledged ‘failings’ (Pic: BBC)

The BBC reported this week that a leaked email showed players were threatened with exclusion from both WXV2 and next year’s World Cup as talks deteriorated. On August 2, players were given a “final offer” ultimatum with a strict three-hour deadline. If they didn’t sign, matches against New Zealand, Scotland, and Australia were set to be cancelled, and contracts withdrawn.

This episode surfaces amid recent claims of sexism and inequality, less than a year after an independent review condemned the WRU’s internal culture following a BBC Wales investigation.

“This is not a good day for us; we totally accept that. We should have done better and didn’t, but we’ve learned our lessons and will keep trying to improve,” said Collier-Keywood.

The WRU is expected to publish recommendations from a review of the negotiation process later this month, which has been fast-tracked following a Telegraph report on Thursday.

Key findings of the report

The WRU has disclosed early findings, which include:

  • A failure to recognise the growth and change in the women’s professional game.
  • An error in issuing the three-hour signing deadline.
  • Strong differences on how to develop women’s rugby in Wales.
  • Players were inexperienced in negotiations and left isolated.
  • Players considered striking before a match against Scotland on September 6.
  • Poor communication and lack of transparency escalated tensions, worsened by inappropriate behaviour at various stages.

The report states that sexism was not a factor behind the failings.

“There are sweeping criticisms in the report along with clear recommendations for change,” Collier-Keywood said, emphasizing the need for an apology and further engagement with the national team.

‘Sexism not apparent’

Independent board members Alison Thorne and Claire Donovan, who conducted the review, stated that while inappropriate behaviour was noted, sexism was not evident.

“After more than 50 hours of discussions with everyone involved, I did not sense that sexism was part of the issue,” said Donovan. Reflecting on her own 15-year rugby career, she acknowledged the past prevalence of sexism but said the grievances in this case appeared to stem from “a lack of respect and understanding of power dynamics.”

The WRU has also committed an additional £6 million toward women’s and girls’ rugby over the next five years, raising the total investment to £26 million.

Accusations of ‘blackmail’

Despite the WRU awarding 37 full-time contracts, Jess Kavanagh, a former Wales wing, criticised the WRU, suggesting the contract process bordered on “blackmail.” She questioned if the WRU had genuinely learned from past mistakes.

“We’ve heard apologies for years about various issues in the WRU, but apologies mean nothing until we see real change,” Kavanagh said. “Being forced to sign a contract under threat – that’s blackmail. In 2024, that should not happen in any workplace.”

Performance impact

Wales’ performance has suffered during the dispute, with the team finishing at the bottom of the 2024 Women’s Six Nations, managing only one win against Italy. Collier-Keywood acknowledged that the tension surrounding contracts may have contributed to the poor performance.

“There was unnecessary stress, which I believe affected performance. People were distracted, and that’s on us,” he stated.

The contracts were eventually signed just before Wales traveled to South Africa for WXV2 in September, although they lost their opening two matches.

The Welsh government, previously critical of the WRU over a misogyny scandal last year, expressed concern over these latest issues, calling for an urgent meeting with the WRU.

A spokesperson added: “We expect our national sporting bodies to lead by example.”

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Sport

Swansea sign free-agent defender Cyrus Christie

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SWANSEA CITY have bolstered their defence with the signing of 32-year-old Cyrus Christie on a contract until the end of the season.

The former Hull City defender, who has been a free agent since his departure at the close of last season, has been training with Swansea since early October. Head coach Luke Williams views Christie as a versatile addition, capable of covering any position across the backline.

Christie returns to Swansea for a second stint, having previously impressed during a loan spell in the second half of the 2021-22 season. During that period, he made 23 appearances and scored three goals after joining from Fulham. While former Swansea boss Russell Martin had shown interest in making Christie’s move permanent, the Republic of Ireland international ultimately opted to sign with Hull City.

“He is experienced at this level, a powerful athlete who can both defend and attack, so I am really happy,” Williams commented. “We lack some Championship experience, and Christie provides a physical presence that’s especially valuable in the absence of players like Ben Cabango and Harry Darling.”

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