Fixture

On a very soft pitch at Caeddol Ruthin and Mold played out a competitive match where either side could have won right until the last minute.  In the event the visitors came out on top with their forwards getting the better of the Blues defence.  After an initial flurry by Mold in the Blues half after kick off Mold defended well for most of the rest of the first half as Ruthin tried to get some points on the board.  They eventually did this with a penalty goal from Nathan Jones after 20 minutes but couldn’t get past a strong Mold defence in the sticky conditions for the rest of the half.   The score remained at 3-0 to Ruthin until the 40^th minute when Mold were awarded a penalty in Ruthin’s half and drove over for a try from the resultant lineout with Jaco Oosterhuyzen getting the try and Jack Pearson converting.  At 7-3 to the visitors at the break there was all to play for in the second half.  Straight after the restart the Blues went back into the lead with a fine try by 2^nd row Sion Roberts converted by Nathan and then within 3 minutes Nathan went over the whitewash himself putting the Blues 17-7 ahead.  Almost immediately Mold reduced the arrears with a copycat try of the one in the first half with their pack driving over from a lineout with Ryan Kirby claiming the honours.  Again the Blues responded with centre Emyr Gwynedd steaming over the visitors’ line for a converted try to put the score at 24-12 to Ruthin.  From the restart Mold’s forwards delivered again with another drive over from a lineout and the arrears were reduced to 24-19, Aled Ellis getting the try and Pearson converting.  After a period of messy play with a slippery ball in Mold’s half the visitors cleared with a penalty kick and then their pack tied up the Blues defence before passing the ball out to the wing where Danny Williams went over the whitewash with Pearson converting to put the score at 26-24 to Mold.  With 10 or so minutes to go the remainder of the play was in Mold’s half as Ruthin tried to claw back the points but the visitors defence held and the Blues last chance to regain the lead was a difficult penalty goal kick in the 79^th minute.  The ball dropped short and Mold came away with a bonus point win and the Blues had to be content with a losers’ bonus point.