PEMBROKE DOCK Quins made a fine start to the season with a hard earned bonus point win over a more experienced Cardigan side.
It was the Teifisiders who got off to the better start, with the Quins conceding three penalties in the opening 5 minutes, but luck was on their side as the visitors failed to capitalise on them.
But with the Teifisiders firmly entrenched in the Quins 25, something had to give and after 12 minutes veteran Loose Head Prop Andrew Fletcher powered over half way out and Outside Half Llyr Jones added the extras.
Just three minutes later the Quins hit back in dramatic fashion when Outside Half Euan MacDonald put in a long raking grubber kick which just eluded Right Wing Tom Donovan, but in form Centre and Captain Gethin Bradney was on hand to touchdown near the corner flag for an unconverted try to pull the score back to 5-7.
Cardigan on the other hand were still on top, and it was not long before Llyr Jones added a penalty on 30 minutes and then just on half time Cardigan Hooker Rhodri Parry Jones forced his way over the Quins Line. Llyr Jones converted to send the visitors in 5-17 at the break.
At the start of the second half the Quins had it all to do, and they responded superbly, another grubber kick from Euan MacDonald ended up in the hands of Gethin Bradney and the Captain, leading by example, touched down near the posts, Euan MacDonald converted to pull the score back to 12-17 within just three minutes of the restart.
Llyr Jones pushed his side into a 12-20 lead with a penalty on the hour in one of the visitors rare forays into Quins territory.
As the rain was falling the Quins were getting the better of things. Scrum Half Keiron Machin soon forced his way over half way out for a try which Euan MacDonald converted to make it a one point game at 19-20.
As the game entered the final stages the Quins were asking serious questions of their opponents and with just 10 minutes left they forced a penalty 35 yards out. Up stepped Euan MacDonald to send his penalty shot over via the upright to put the Quins into the lead for the first time in the Match at 22-20.
The Quins now were not letting up silencing the visitors crowd in the process, they forced at another long range penalty, this time the ball dipped under the bar.
The visitors, under pressure, made a mess of the clearance, and the quick thinking Second Row Liam Scourfield was on the spot to take a quick lineout to his fellow partner in crime Ben Gibby and the young Second Row made no mistake as he touched down wide out for the vital bonus point try which went unconverted to end the scoring.
