Cardiff 35 Llanelli 29

LLANELLI'S hopes of adding to their record haul of 14 Welsh Cup wins were dashed in a high-scoring third-round tie at Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday.

Cardiff are next best to Llanelli with seven cup victories to their credit, but the sides were locked together with seven wins each in cup ties between the two teams going into what turned out to be an absorbing tie, which was only settled in the last minute.

Cardiff took a second-minute lead with a penalty by Gareth Davies for a scrum offence, but this was cancelled out in the 16th minute when Jordan Williams levelled the scores with a penalty.

Penalty

Cardiff then took charge and Davies kicked his second penalty when a Llanelli forward came into a ruck from the side.

Referee Ian Davies punished Llanelli prop Shaun Hopkins for a scrum offence in the 27th minute and Davies kicked the penalty, and four minutes later — after Hopkins had received a stern talking-to by the referee — the Cardiff pivot added another.

From the restart, Dan Crimmins charged into the Llanelli 22 and Cardiff set up a scrum near the Llanelli line.

After three attempts, Davies yellow-carded Hopkins, which meant Rhys Thomas had to come on in his place and Bowdy Davies had to go off.

Cardiff opted to go for a pushover try and it paid dividends as the scrum collapsed and the referee awarded a penalty try, which Davies converted.

Llanelli attacked and Williams kicked a second penalty for Llanelli to make it 19-6 at the break.

Searing

From the second-half kick-off, Richard Smith made a searing break which led to a try by Harry Robinson, converted by Sneddon, and it looked all over for Llanelli.

But they showed their true fighting spirit when Iolo Evans sent Owen Williams over for a try converted by Jordan Williams.

Sneddon kicked a penalty for Cardiff but Llanelli had the bit between their teeth and Bowdy Davies nipped in to collect a chip ahead from Owen Williams and race away for a 53rd-minute try converted by Jordan Williams, who added a penalty two minutes later.

Sneddon kicked his second and Cardiff's sixth penalty in the 64th minute of a breathless second half, but Williams punished a high tackle with his third successful penalty two minutes later.

As Llanelli attacked near the Cardiff line, Crimmins was sin-binned for an offence at a ruck on the home line. Llanelli elected to kick the penalty and Williams brought his tally to 19 points to narrow the gap to just three points.

Llanelli would have gone through as the away team if they could have brought the scores level as both sides had scored two tries — and they went all out against Cardiff's 14 men.

But the Blue and Blacks showed great character to dig in and Sneddon settled it with a last-minute penalty to put Cardiff into the quarter-finals.