Ready for the charge (From Free Press Series)

Ready for the charge

TRIUMPHANT Pontypool coach Steve Jones has vowed his men are now ready to make a late charge up the Premiership table after crushing Cross Keys last week.

The delighted Pooler boss said his side was at last taking its chances and scoring the kind of points that can propel them into a possible top ten finish at the end of next month, when the season draws to a close.

"It's that tight at the bottom that we have to keep winning, but if we play well and take our chances, we are up for winning all of our remaining games," pledged Jones.

"The players for the last two or three months have not been short of confidence or team spirit.

"All we weren't doing was taking the right decisions, and that's the difference between a good side and a struggling side.

"Now we seem to be making them and we are well capable of beating Swansea this Saturday."

Pontypool picked up their second win in two games last Wednesday against mid-table Cross Keys, with what Jones described as one of their best performances of the last six months.

With the club now six points ahead of relegation favourites Llanelli, their Premiership status seems almost assured.

Jones, though, isn't counting his chickens just yet. "We still have a big job to do and have to win as many games as possible.

"We are not looking at the other teams, but just concentrating on the games in hand for us," he said.

The club can take great heart, though, from a formidable performance against an out-played Cross Keys team. Jones puts the side's turnaround in form down to a resurgent front eight, and the right personnel in front of goals.

"We have a settled pack, which has been a massive bonus for us," said Jones. "Having consistency in the forwards is the key to a solid game plan and that has been something we have been able to benefit from recently."

He went on, "We have lost four games this year from not kicking our penalties and it is refreshing to have Jon Williams kicking those goals for us now.

"When we are in the strike zone we have been coming away with points, which we were not doing before. It makes things a lot easier for us when that is happening.

"When you're not taking those penalties it can deflate the side, but now we are coming away with them and that is the kind of reward the players have been looking for after creating the chances in the first place."

Jones also hit back at some of the club's ex-players who have been vocal in their comments on the side's in-different season.

"We will accept fair criticism, but what we will not accept is people putting their ten pence in off the field and not doing anything to help us on it."

Pontypool kick off their crucial game against Swansea at St Helen's this Saturday at 2.30pm.