The Thirds opened the second half of their De Cymru 1 campaign with a rematch against Abergavenny, but in altogether more positive mood after putting together a squad of players (instead of the intrepid nine that made the original fixture) and knowing that the playing surface would be more conducive to good hockey.

Despite a solid start from the home side, Aber's intent was clear, throwing men forward at every opportunity and eventually overwhelming the Penarth defence to take the lead largely against the run of play. The remainder of the half was shaded by the visitors, with the Bears requiring some smart saves - including one with his head - from recent NAGs success Joe Casey to keep the deficit at a single goal, while their forwards toiled without much success at the other end.

The second half saw greater pressure from the home side, with Jacob Allen and Richard Baker providing a lot of the momentum from midfield, but again without any tangible breakthrough once the ball arrived in the D. At the other end, Penarth's 'seasoned' defensive quartet held firm against an Aber side still capable of breaking from deep - and it was particularly unfortunate that the visitors were able to double their advantage via a wicked deflection as the game moved into its closing phase.