EBBW Vale were left kicking themselves for missing two easy penalties and a late drop goal that could, and should, have turned another narrow defeat into a much-needed victory, writes Rob Cole.

Dan Haymond was the guilty party off the kicking-tee, missing two kicks in quick succession at the start of the second half, and then Lewis Williams fluffed his lines from the 22 in front of the posts with a drop goal three minutes from time that would have edged his side back into the lead had it been six inches to the left.

Williams then stepped up to try to win the game with the last kick of the match in the 81st minute, but his shot from 48 metres was nowhere near the mark and another close contest went away from the home side.

Ebbw were the last team to win the Premiership before the Ironmen notched a hat-trick of titles, but the reigning champions came into the game having already lost six games this season. Ebbw’s plight was even more serious as their nine losses in 11 games had left them a point adrift of Bridgend at the bottom of the table.

Greg Woods had asked his players to pile into Merthyr from the kick-off and the opening phase of the game lasted almost four minutes as it went from turn-over to turn-over, and end to end. The Steelmen carried hard and made ground, but the visitors’ defence was superb.

Playing down the slope and with the wind in the first-half Merthyr had the right man in the right position to exploit their possession and last season’s Ebbw No 10, Rhys Jones, proved he had lost none of his bearings at Eugene Cross Park.

Jones was a constant thorn in the side of his former team mates with lengthy and inch-perfect kicks and he also got the scoreboard moving with a 40 metre drop goal. It was a shot to nothing for the Merthyr pivot as his side were playing penalty advantage in the 11th minute, but it was a sweet strike.

Merthyr maintained the pressure and Dan Haymond made a timely intervention to strip the ball out of the grasp of wing Sam Jones inches from the home line to save what seemed a certain try. From there the action switched to the other end and the Steelmen opened their account with a penalty try in the 17th minute.

Having worked their way deep into the 22, they kept the ball and saw referee Ben Whitehouse award them four penalty advantages before Matthew Jarvis was adjudged to have deliberately knocked on a pass inside from Paul King that would have found either of his wings.

The penalty try was awarded and Jarvis saw yellow. Yet while he was away Merthyr didn’t leak any more points and Jones actually cut the gap to a single point with a 40 metre penalty after Ben Fry, who was superb from start to finish in the back row, was caught playing the ball on the floor.

Haymond responded with a penalty of his own from in front of the Merthyr posts, but Merthyr finished the first half with a flourish. A Jones kick deep into the 22 forced a mistake from the Ebbw line-out and after a solid scrum the visitors worked flanker Jake Thomas over for a try that Jarvis converted off the touchline.

Then the Merthyr full back was given a chance to end the half in style with a penalty from a metre inside his own half. His giant kick bounced on the cross bar and went over to give his side a 16-10 lead.

Woods told his players they needed to score first in the second half and they should have done so. Those two Haymond penalty misses were split by a try from skipper Ashley Sweet that was ruled out by the TMO, Tim Hayes, because Merthyr scrum half Justin James collided with the referee in the build-up.

King started the move with a superb chip and regather and two passes later Sweet slid in at the posts. Then came the review and further heartbreak for the Steelmen as the score was ruled out.

Having ridden their luck, Merthyr picked up another penalty from Jarvis to extend their lead and leave the home side with a mountain to climb.

Dragons and Wales U20 hooker Will Griffiths powered his way over from an excellent offload by Fry to haul the home side back into the contest and Haymond’s nerveless conversion cut the gap to two points.

There was no grandstand finish, but there was at least a losing bonus-point and every indication that there is enough fight and talent within Wood’s group to beat the dreaded drop.

Ebbw Vale: Dan Haymond, Mike Powell, Paul King, Ethan Philips, Aaron Grabham, Lewis Williams, Matthew Flanagan, Ross Jones, Will Griffiths, Rob Sevenoaks, Corey Talbot, Ashley Sweet (captain), Dan Hill, Ben Fry, Lewis Young

Reps: Mikel Blake, Dave Whiting, Joel Harries, Max Ayling, Dawid Rubasniak, Dai Langdon, Dai Jones, Ryan Evans

Scorers: Tries: W Griffiths, Pen Try; Con: D Haymond; Pen: D Haymond.

Merthyr: Matthew Jarvis, Sam Jones, Arron Pinches, Adam Thomas, Harri Millard, Rhys Jones, Justin James, Chris Phillips, Rhys Williams, Rhys Lewis, Ben Murphy, James Down, Jake Thomas, Tom Daley, Phil Rees (captain)

Reps: Sam Evans, Aidan Luxton, Liam Owen, Craig Locke, Jack Perkins, Adam Hoskins, Rhys Davies, Harley Thompson

Scorers: Try: J Thomas; Con: M Jarvis; Pens: M Jarvis 2, R Jones; DG: R Jones.

Referee: Ben Whitehouse

Ebbw Vale Star Man: Ben Fry