Rugby Division One Narberth 0 Bonymaen 32 Narberth hopes of making up ground on section leaders Maesteg were dealt a body blow as they suffered a comprehensive home defeat against Bonymaen.

The visitors had won just three of their previous nine league fixtures, but were on top from the outset and never once relaxed their tweezer grip on an Otter team which lost possession at will and only once entered the opposing 22 in the first half, as they trailed 10-0.

Hopes of a second-half come-back were left in tatters as Emori Katalau knocked on straight from the kick off and Bonymaen established another platform from which they scored on of their second-half tries - and such was the disappointment from the sponsors that neither felt able to nominate a Narberth man of the match afterwards!

The match was due to be played under floodlights in midweek next February but with Brynmawr giving the Konica Minolta Welsh Cup game to Narberth and with Wrexham unable to travel to Bonymaen in the same competition, this was the ideal chance for the teams to meet on a Saturday afternoon - but the sunshine failed to lift the homesters as Bonymaen had nippy scrum half Ben Hall linking with his back row and No 10 Rob Richards looking eager to set his backs in motion.

Referee Peter Saroka raised the ire of the home supporters as some of his decisions were confusing, but even the most die-hard Otter fan would have to say that even this couldn't excuse their disappointing overall performance.

Narberth received an early warning as Richards made an incisive break and his pack stole a strike against the head to give the fly half a penalty, which he put wide.

The Otters had influential skipper Alan Phillips yellow-carded to cause further disruption. Hall went close in the right corner but Bonymaen finally took the lead after 17 minutes as ref Saroka awarded them a penalty try which Richards converted before slotting a penalty four minutes later awarded after the referee had called Phillips and prop Nathan Williams over about too much chatting.

Bonymaen winger Chris Batsford also went close and Richards missed a simple penalty as Narberth took until the 34th minute to gain their first foothold in the visitors' 22.

But they failed to maintain the pressure and another basic handling error allowed Bonymaen to increase their lead with an unconverted try by hooker Darren Poland from close range.

Narberth brought on Dafydd Bowen and Sion Brace to try and infuse some action but Bonymaen went further ahead with a try by lock Stuart Miller, from a well-executed rolling maul, which Richards converted.

The Bonymaen No 10 missed a dropped goal attempt but soon made amends with a penalty after more chat to referee Saroka by frustrated Narberth players - and slotted the conversion of a try by Batsford, from a kick and chase after the Narberth defence had been reluctant to secure loose ball near their own 22.

Narberth came closest to scoring right on full time as Adrian Killa sniped to the posts but after calling for a scrum the referee blew his last blast of the whistle to round off a day to forget for the Otter faithful - and a real chance lost to grab an expected seventh win from nine league outings.

Narberth were sponsored by Folly Farm, Begelly and Dr Stephen Allen, Dental Surgeon.