Sports Report – 29th Sep

There’s no better place to begin this week’s sports round-up than our Netball team and their triumphant performance in their first league game of the season.

Merthyr College battled the petrol station forecourts to fill up and make their way to Tycoch Sport Centre for Wednesday’s clash but arrived to find our girls in red hot form and in no mood to show too much appreciation for their efforts.  From the off, GCS were incredibly strong during attacking passages and absolutely relentless in defensive phases, constantly intercepting any Merthyr passing movements.  We dominated each quarter and rarely let Merthyr threaten our goal and Sarah was quick to praise the girls for their excellence in unit play and the complete nature of the performance.

Final Score:
GCS 60  v Merthyr 5
Star Player – Emily Hopkins (A Levels)

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Rugby 1^st XV
Our Rugby boys travelled to Bridgend College for our third Ospreys Pool game knowing victory would guarantee a place in the very top tier league for the rest of the season.  After our previous strong performance at home, we knew that Bridgend would come out fighting and with GCS suffering a number of injuries it was always likely to be a close encounter.

Similar to the week before against Neath, we never really got into full stride in the game and it remained a very closely fought contest throughout and one it seemed might favour our hosts at full-time.  We struggled to assert any control throughout and in a scrappy game (for us at least) and it was only a strong final few minutes and two tries that saw us secure the crucial victory to win us the pool with a game to spare.

Whilst the coaches were a little disappointed with a bit of a flat performance they are delighted to see us competing at the top table of colleges rugby in Wales for the rest of the season – well done players and coaches (although the really hard work begins now!)

Final Score:
Bridgend College 7  v GCS 17

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Football 1^st XI
Exeter College were our visitors this week, once again at Pontardawe Town FC, in a game which seemed a good opportunity to establish ourselves in the top few positions against a team likely to be a direct rival.

Similarly to last week it was the visitors who perhaps surprisingly started much the brighter despite their long journey and we had to defend resolutely to keep them down to just a few half chances.  However, as the pressure increased some poor defending allowed and Exeter player to receive the ball and fire into the bottom corner expertly to give them the lead.  We woke up after this and had our best spell of the game and were rewarded when Artiom Legavec (BTEC Football Coaching Performance Yr 1) was left in space for us to equalise before half-time.

The second half started in a relatively even manner until the decisive moment of the game came when Exeter broke the increasingly competitive encounter with a fine goal.  From  that point on Exeter began to control proceedings again and finished the game off in the dying moments with a late penalty.

Final Score
GCS 1 v Exeter College 3

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Matches postponed:
GCS 2 XI Football v Neath College