Steven Shingler missed a last-gasp penalty as the table-topping Scarlets were beaten by GUINNESS PRO12 rivals Ospreys by a single point, 27-26 at Parc y Scarlets. A gripping first half saw John Barclay and Aled Davies cross over for the hosts but Hanno Dirksen and Alun Wyn Jones responded in kind as the two sides reached half-time level. The boot of Aled Thomas edged the Scarlets back ahead but the Ospreys – the only Welsh region to beat the Scarlets in their own back yard since April 2010 – hit back through Eli Walker. Dan Biggar missed a straightforward penalty and it looked as though he would be left to regret that, only for Shingler to follow suit and the Ospreys to inflict just the Scarlets’ second league defeat in their last 23 games on home soil. Scarlets took the early initiative and a rolling maul edged them towards the try-line, only for Morgan Allen – taking on his former side – to knock on. The danger was cleared but the hosts were not to be deterred and the opening try arrived on 11 minutes, following a series of pick-and-drives. A resilient Ospreys defence looked to have kept them at bay, until the ball went wide and Hadleigh Parkes found flanker Barclay on the right wing to cross over, Thomas converting. Biggar soon hit back with a penalty but Thomas followed suit from distance with 18 minutes on the clock, after Josh Matavesi and Ben John were caught offside, to restore the seven-point lead. Ken Owens was next to be penalised by referee Nigel Owens – for not rolling away – and Biggar duly doubled his tally for the afternoon from in front of the target. The penalty pendulum swung again, Thomas tapping over from close range on 25 minutes, but the Scarlets soon suffered a setback when Barclay was forced off with a hand injury. It soon got worse, Ospreys captain Jones charging down a Davies clearance on the Scarlets line and Dirksen driven over the line following the resulting scrum – Biggar’s conversion drawing the visitors level. Davies made amends five minutes before the break, quickly capitalising after Jack Condy was stopped short to sneak over the line and score. Thomas converted again. But that was not the final act of the half as, following a yellow card for Scarlets lock Jake Ball, Jones was on the end of a rampaging Ospreys move to touch down, Biggar’s conversion levelling things up at half-time. The numerical disadvantage didn’t stop Scarlets edging ahead early in the second half, courtesy of a Thomas penalty – and he added three more points after a dangerous Matavesi tackle. However, shortly before the hour-mark the Ospreys struck, prop Dmitri Arhip skipping down the left touchline and offloading to Walker to streak clear. Biggar’s conversion put the visitors ahead for the first time but he missed the chance to extend that newfound lead from the tee, sending a penalty wide. At the other end Martin Roberts denied the Scarlets a crucial try, reading a DTH van der Merwe offload to intercept and halt the hosts in their tracks. With the Ospreys looking to wind down the clock, their hosts turned the ball over and found their way into the opposition 22, where Dan Lydiate was penalised for a dangerous tackle. But, in the final minute, replacement fly-half Shingler sent the penalty wide of the left-hand upright. To buy tickets for the GUINNESS PRO12 Grand Final click here. Also follow us on Facebook, join the conversation on Twitter, sign up to our YouTube channel for extensive match highlights and sign up for our newsletter for regular updates on the GUINNESS PRO12.
