PONTYPOOL suffered their eighth defeat this season under new coach David Gray, losing 42-16 at high-flying Pontypridd on Saturday.

Pontypridd, just three points off the top, raced into an early lead while Pontypool had to wait until the very end of the half for their first try - Phil Sergeant touching over after a line out on Pontypridd's 22 to add to an earlier three point kick.

But having clawed their way back to 16-8 at the break, Pooler were soon down to 14 men when substitute Ross Watts was sent to the sin-bin for a shoulder charge on the hosts' scrum-half, Wayne Evans. And Pontypridd soon capitalised on the lack of discipline, which Pooler coach David Gray later confessed had been his side's undoing, with another score.

By the time Pontypool captain Nathan Daniels had added his side's second try of the game Pontypridd were already home and dry with 30 points on the board.

And then Daniels himself picked up a yellow card towards the end, while the hosts added another 12 before the final whistle to lift them to third in the Principality Premiership.

Coach Gray said there was "no excuse" for the ill-discipline which had led to the two sin-binnings. He said: "We played 20 minutes of the second half win 14 men and it's let us down, really."

Gray remains upbeat, however, looking ahead to Friday's must-win game at home to Cardiff.

He said: "One positive from the Pontypridd game was that we had made a couple of changes and the players who came in - Craig Jones at full-back and Richard Dix at number eight in particular - have done well and given us more options.

"Hopefully Cardiff will be the game where we can start getting back on track."