Spaniels Match Report Vs Aberdare.

Match Report by Lee Arthur.

Llanharan Spaniels 52 – 20 Aberdare 2nds

​Date: Saturday 17th October

Fixture: Llanharan Spaniels v Aberdare 2nds

​On a glorious afternoon perfect for running rugby, a strong Llanharan Spaniels side earned a hard-fought victory over a resilient Aberdare 2nds in an intensely physical contest.

​First-Half Dominance

​The Spaniels set a ferocious tempo right from the opening whistle. Combining relentless, hard-hitting carries with crisp, incisive handling, the home side completely blew Aberdare away in a masterclass of attack.

​Llanharan raced into a commanding 40–5 halftime lead, crossing the whitewash six times in a rampant opening 40 minutes. Dan Palin led the charge with a dynamic double, while Taine Davies, Tom Buckle, Chris Osborne, and Harrison Pritchard each added tries of their own. Alfie Cogbill was in fine form with the boot, clinically slotting five conversions to reward his team’s dominant play. Aberdare managed a solitary response before the break, but the Spaniels were firmly in the driver's seat.

​Second-Half Battle

​The second half proved to be a far more disjointed, attritional affair. Frequent interruptions from the referee's whistle disrupted any real rhythm, preventing Llanharan from replicating their first-half fluid attack.

​Midway through the half, Taine Davies broke the deadlock to bag his second try of the match with another clinical finish. Aberdare refused to lie down, however, taking advantage of a lapse in the home defence with quick-fire back-to-back tries down the blindside.

​Any hopes of a late Aberdare fightback were put firmly to bed when Kelvin Mills produced a trademark powerhouse carry off a set lineout, bulldozing over to notch Llanharan's eighth try of the afternoon.

​To their absolute credit, Aberdare stuck to their task right until the final whistle and were rewarded with a late try to secure a valuable four-try bonus point—a fitting reward for their non-stop effort.

​Player of the Match

​This was a stellar squad effort from Llanharan, with impactful performances across the park. However, one player stood out above the rest: Jesse Barnes. Putting in an all-action display defined by sheer guts, determination, and unbelievable energy. Jesse seemed to cover every blade of grass on the pitch twice over, fully deserving his Man of the Match award.

​Match Summary

​Llanharan Spaniels Tries: Dan Palin (2), Taine Davies (2), Tom Buckle, Chris Osborne, Harrison Pritchard, Kelvin Mills.

​Conversions: Alfie Cogbill (6)

​Man of the Match: Jesse Barnes.

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