Tenby United 11 - Whitland 13: Taking the field for their second successive local derby with the season only two games old, it was a repeat of last week’s close defeat up at Crymych, with again FBM sponsored Tenby United leading in a close match at half-time, but come the final whistle, were just one score away from victory, and again only managing a penalty in the second half.

This trend will obviously worry coach Gareth Thomas, but the overall performance was a pleasing one, with a number of scoring opportunities created not taken being the main difference between the sides, with, when required, Tenby stoutly defending their line for large portions of the game - which was well refereed by Adam Bowdler from Aberdare, who was paying his first visit to Heywood Lane.

In front of a sizable crowd, in weather that was far more acceptable than the forecast had predicted, Whitland kicked off towards the scoreboard end, with United skipper Luke Dedman taking the ball cleanly and linking with number eight Roy Osborn, but a knock-on prevented anything threatening from developing.

The first scrum of the game saw Tenby put the visitors under pressure and a retreating Whitland side coughed up the ball for Roy Osborn, Ben Pugh, Lloyd Thomas, Jack Prkinson and Pat Roberts to combine well and make ground, ending with referee Bowdler penalising the visitors for holding on at the breakdown.

Whitland had been on the back foot during this opening spell, but eventually tested the home defence with a series of attacking moves, which in turn were well defended by Tenby. Their continued pressure, however, was eventually rewarded when Tenby were penalised, but Nico Setaro was short with his initial attempt at goal.

With the experienced Roy Osborn and Jason Ronowitz attempting to combine in open play at every opportunity, they linked with prop Huw Evans and flanker Jack Broadhurst, but the move ended with Whitland snatching the ball in a tackle and a neat chip through the stretched Tenby defence was thwarted with wing Geraint Powell making a timely mark. The ball was tapped back to Lloyd Thomas and his booming clearance took play into the Whitland 22.

This sustained period of pressure was spoiled with the ball being lost again in the tackle area and with Whitland probing for an opening, a sloppy penalty presented Setaro with the chance to put the visitors in the lead, which he did, striking the ball cleanly through the sticks.

With Whitland maintaining this pressure, it took a superb combined tackle by Charlie Patching and Jack Broadhurst to stop anything threatening from developing and switching into attack mode, the ever-alert Roy Osborn and Lloyd Thomas combined, ending with a chip through the scrambling Whitland defence being gathered by wing Geraint Powell, who was hauled down just short of the line. This latest bout of pressure was rewarded, however, with Lloyd Thomas slotting a neat dropped goal to level the scores at 3-3.

Tenby put several promising attacking moves together, with Luke Dedman, Jordan Asparassa, Pat Roberts and Ben Pugh prominent. The visitors defence initially held firm, but was eventually breached with wingers Powell and Asparassa combining well to put burly centre Jack Parkinson over for a try, which went unconverted by Lloyd Thomas, leaving Tenby with an 8-3 lead with half-time approaching.

The second half started with Whitland threatening the Tenby line and a great covering tackle by Jordan Asparassa ended with him staying down but being brought back to life by Harry Bolton and what was obviously very cold water!

The visitors continued to pressurise the well-organised home defence, probing the short side, and when they did stretch the United to breaking point, the final pass fortunately sailed into touch.

A hasty clearance kick by Lloyd Thomas was turned into the next scoring opportunity for the visitors when Tenby were penalised for transgressing at the breakdown, giving Nico Setaro his second successful penalty and closing the scores to 8-6.

Thomas transgressed again with his boot, this time finding touch on the full from outside his 22, and aided by some uncharacteristic slack tackling, Whitland crossed the Tenby line with a try by Gino Setaro, converted by cousin Nico, to snatch the lead at 13-8

This reverse spurred the home side on, with superb defending preventing the visitors from adding to their score, supported by attacks involving Pat Roberts, Jack Parkinson, Jason Asparassa and Lloyd Thomas testing the Whitland defence to the full.

Their reward was not long in coming, with Whitland being penalised and Thomas got his kicking act in place as he stroked the ball cleanly between the uprights, narrowing the gap to 11-13.

Tenby were slowly taking the initiative from the visitors and putting them under prolonged and severe pressure, with Roy Osborn, Lloyd Thomas, Pat Roberts, Dan Wainwright, Luke Dedman, Geraint Powell, Charlie Patching, Jack Broadhurst, Jason Ronowitz and Tom Barrass all involved in a series of attacking moves - but the well-organised Whitland defence held firm.

A penalty for a high tackle involving Tom Barrass produced the dreaded yellow card and 10 minutes on the naughty step, which was added too when a Whitland player retaliated, ending with referee Bowdler also showing the player involved a yellow card, much to the annoyance of the vociferous Whitland supporters.

Taking play deep into the Whitland half and putting together a series of attacks, a move involving Osborn, Thomas, Roberts, Dan Wainwright and replacement Mike Davies ended with Lloyd Thomas going for (and failing with) another drop goal, when perhaps the better option would have been to utilise the four to two overlap the United had engineered out wide.

To compensate for losing their hooker, Tenby brought on Dan Allen, with Jack Broadhurst being sacrificed to accommodate the change.

Putting his missed pot at goal behind him, Thomas linked with Asparassa, Dedman, Geraint Powell, Osborn and Tom Barrass, ending with Pat Roberts being held up in the tackle and a scrum awarded to Whitland, when it seemed obvious to most that a visiting player had his arm around the neck of Roberts, which should have resulted in a high tackle penalty being awarded to Tenby.

With the naughty step players returning, the Tenby side was shuffled, with Dan Allen staying on, the returning Jack Broadhurst replacing Huw Evans and Tom Barrass and Harry Owen slotting into the back row.

With time running out, attacking options to regain the lead were getting more difficult to create, but one searing break by man-of-the-match Roy Osborn put Pat Roberts clear, but he just lacked the necessary pace to outflank the covering Whitland defence and the chance went begging.

The final couple of opportunities that came their way ended with Tenby lineout options going wrong and a steal at the final lineout on the Whitland line ended with the ball being booted into touch and referee Bowdler whistling for time, with Whitland winning 13-11 in a very tight encounter.

Yes, a losing bonus point was gained, but in this league they should be classed as plusses from an away encounter and therefore must be viewed as a somewhat negative result at home.

Chances were created, but not taken; kicking badly and at the wrong time, along with inconsistency with throwing in at lineout time and finally the ball being dislodged in the tackle will be the things that need working on as Tenby prepare for an encounter against pointless Hendy away tomorrow (Saturday). The two teams will be battling out for their first win of the season, while Kidwelly take on Llangennech away, also trying to achieve the same, with all three teams keen to get away from near the foot of the league table.

Tenby United fielded: Dan Wainwright, Geraint Powell, Jack Parkinson, Pat Roberts, Jordan Asparassa, Lloyd Thomas, Ben Pugh, Huw Evans (Jack Broadhurst), Tom Barrass (Dan Allen), Rob Luly (Ethan Morgan), Luke Dedman, Charlie Patching (Mike Davies), Jack Broadhurst (Harry Owen), Roy Osborn, Jason Ronowitz. Replacement - Jack Tucker.

Whitland: Dan Evans, Liam Price, Gino Setaro, Josh Thomas, Sean Coles, Nico Setaro, Adam Davies, Aaron Mayne, Mark Jones (capt), Tomas Evans, Courtney Bowman, James Thomas, Scott Buird, Danny Evans, Jack Mason. Replacements - Michael Ryan, Jimmy Buird, Benj Kirk, Ryan Morgan, Aaron Ebsworth.