COACHES at Swalec Championship strugglers Newcastle Emlyn and at Crymych in League 1 West are sure to be targeting a number of forthcoming fixtures where they can pick up vital points to stave off the threat of relegation.

Despite a spirited showing from the Teifisiders who matched champions-elect Merthyr for lengthy periods the Red and Whites lost 19-7 on their own Ddol Wyber stamping ground, a tenth defeat in 13 outings leaving them one off the bottom at the halfway stage.

Merthyr head coach and former top class outside half Lee Jarvis said he was impressed with Emlyn and believed they could retain Championship status.

“The conditions were the worst we’ve encountered this season but having said that Emlyn deserve a lot of praise for giving us one of our most difficult games,” he said.

It was no surprise that the game was a forward orientated affair with the visitors dominating and too powerful for the Teifisiders.

But the homesters fought for everything throughout as if their lives depended on the result and the rousing reception they received from a sizeable crowd at the end was no more than they deserved.

Merthyr went ahead in the opening quarter when from a driving maul prop James Howe slid in under the posts for a try converted by outside half Mathew Jarvis.

To their credit the Teifisiders refused to buckle and bounced back with a try when an attempted clearance kick was charged down and Owain Powell was first to the ball, the flanker touching down for a try under the posts making the conversion a formality for winger Daniel Davies.

Merthyr pressure led to the visitors’ second try near the interval and again it was a driving maul that had the home forwards retreating that led to impressive flanker Osian Davies squeezing over for a try in the corner.

As both sides kept things extremely tight during the second period Merthyr pulled most of the strings and on one occasion went through 28 phases from under their own posts to deep inside the Emlyn territory.

When Emlyn were adjudged to have infringed at a scrum near the line the visitors were awarded a penalty try converted by Jarvis and there was no way back for the home side.

Crymych slid perilously close to the drop zone after losing 8-3 at home against bottom but one Loughor, the Blues completing the double over their rivals, having come out on top 29-24 at Villa Field on the opening day.

As the score would suggest this was a dour affair on a heavy Parc Lloyd Thomas strip and a game many felt Crymych could and should have won during the second half but for being guilty of a number of elementary errors.

Winger Laurence Headlam crossed for a Loughor try midway through the first half and outside half Anthony Pompa landed a penalty.

Scrum-half Luke Rogers hoisted a penalty early in the second half to give the Preselimen hope but the visitors defended heroically and held out for their second win of the season.