Llanelli go top of the table

Llanelli Scarlets 27 Celtic Warriors 22

Llanelli Scarlets moved to the top of the Celtic League with a narrow victory over previous leaders Celtic Warriors at Stradey Park.

The sin-binning of Warriors flanker Cory Harris either side of half-time proved pivotal as the Scarlets recorded 12 unanswered points.

Penalties from Warriors fly-half Neil Jenkins and opposite number Gareth Bowen accounted for the early scoring while the visitors registered an opportunist try in the 13th minute.

A quick lineout throw from wing Gareth Wyatt nearly yielded a try for hooker Andrew Joy but the ball was worked right from the in-swing maul and Wyatt eventually touched down at the flag.

Two penalties from Bowen to one by Jenkins saw the Warriors lead 13-9 going into first-half injury time but they then had Harris yellow-carded for a high challenge on Bowen.

The Scarlets made the extra man pay when full-back Barry Davies was sent over for an overlap try which Bowen converted from the touchline.

That score took Llanelli into a 16-13 interval lead and with Harris still in the sin-bin, the Scarlets struck again in the 43rd minute.

From a five-metre lineout, flanker Vernon Cooper seized possession and prop John Davies spun off a maul to claim an unconverted try.

The Scarlets continued to hold a 21-13 lead until Jenkins dragged the Warriors back into contention with a 62nd-minute penalty.

Another Jenkins conversion further trimmed the deficit to 21-19, but it was the turn of the Warriors to infringe on 70 minutes and Bowen also struck a fourth penalty.

The Warriors responded with a fifth Jenkins penalty only for the Scarlets to seal victory late on with a long-range kick from the deadly-accurate Bowen, who claimed 17 points.