Hat trick for Lee  - 20/04/2010 - MERTHYR

SWALEC ONE EAST
LLANHARAN 51 MERTHYR 16
Lee Thorne grabbed three tries for Llanharan as they routed Merthyr in the evening sunshine at the Dairyfield.
It was also a good night for the consistent Codey Rees, last summer’s import from Caerphilly clocking up another sixteen points to take his tally to 215 in league and cup.
In a game twice postponed because of the weather it was ironic to see the occasional puff of dust generated by the playing activity.
The win moved the home side clear of Bargoed in second spot in the One East table, a total of seven tries ensuring a tenth bonus point of the campaign, whilst defeat for a plucky but outclassed Merthyr team leaves them still needing points to ensure their first division status.
Former Youth star Thorne opened his account in the 12th minute helped by a characteristic break from livewire scrum half Glen Holloway, adding another in stoppage time before the turn around as he pounced on Rees’s neat chip, and then bursting through early in the second half for his 9th try in ten games.
But it was the supecharged back row man Aled Llewellyn who was first over the line after eight minutes of frenetic play.
The accurate boot of Neil Burnett kept Merthyr in touch at 12-9, but instead of profiting from Ed Rees’s yellow card they went in at the interval 23-9 down courtesy of Rees’s kicking and Thorne’s second.
The second half started and ended well, but supporters endured a sterile twenty minute or so in between, not least because of three yellow cards.
Dai Atkins sprinted under the posts after an intercept, Thorne sent the alert Justin Jones in under the posts, adding his own third to take the score out of reach 44-9.
Swansea official Greg Morgan then sent visiting hooker Daniel Snape and Dairymen Neil Lewis and James Greenfield to the sidelines in quick succession, Merthyr prop James Howe getting a converted try in the midst of the comings and goings.
However, the Ironmen were unable to make further inroads even though Gareth Edwards’ men were down to thirteen for a short while and Llanharan finished strongly as Neil Lewis made up for his lost time with a try from the back of a scrum.
Recently capped Wales Under 18 full back Harley Thomson made his Dairyfield senior debut as a replacement at half time and distinguished himself with some clever runs, while young hooker Aarron Griffin justified the coach’s faith with a solid performance in just his second start of the year.
Llanharan: E.Foils, L.Thorne, D.Atkins (W.Jervis 43), A.Pinches (H.Thomson 40), P.Adams, C.Rees, G.Holloway, E.Rees (J.Greenfield 59), A.Griffin , G.Edwards (Capt.) (M.Phillips70), J.Connors, L.Davies, A.Llewellyn (B.Carey 59), J.Jones. N.Lewis.
Llanharan tries – L.Thorne 3, A.Llewellyn, J.Jones, D.Atkins, N.Lewis.
Cons 5 and pens 2 – C.Rees.
Merthyr try – James Howe. Con and pens 3 – P.Burnett.

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