Dai Sport

Craig Harrison asked for a reaction from his players following their shock 3-1 defeat to Briton Ferry Llansawel earlier in the week and he got it in spades as The New Saints moved to within a point of the top of the JD Cymru Premier table. They were forced to do it the hard way after falling behind to two goals in as many minutes from former Cardiff City academy star James Crole that gave league leaders Penybont a handy half-time lead at Park Hall.

Warren Gatland is facing the sack as Wales coach – unless he can convince his former star player Jamie Roberts he should be allowed to continue. Gatland lost for the 12th time in a row on Sunday and the 45-12 defeat to South Africa means he is the first Wales coach for 87 years to go through an entire calendar year without winning. The buffeted Welsh Rugby Union will start their review process of the Autumn Series next week, with Roberts set to be a key figure.

Will Rowlands accepts that Wales find themselves in “a brutal situation” as they prepare to face South Africa following 11 successive Test defeats and raging speculation about their head coach’s future. Wales and Warren Gatland are behind the eight-ball ahead of an Autumn Nations Series finale that has landslide defeat written all over it.

Wales Golf squad16-year-old Dion Regan has won the biggest title of his career at the Faldo Junior Tour European Grand Final, following in the footsteps of the likes of Rory McIlroy and Mel Reid. It was also a Wales double with Isobel Kelly winning the Under 21 Girls category, at the 28th Grand Final of the series, started by six-time Major champion Sir Nick Faldo to develop the champions of tomorrow.

Omer Riza appears happy enough with his trip to Malaysia to meet Vincent Tan – even though he did not return with a signed contact as the new permanent Cardiff City manager. Instead, Riza remains in interim charge of the Bluebirds as they prepare to face Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Saturday lunchtime.

Chepstow Racecourse hosts its latest Jumps card on Friday afternoon with a seven-race offering at the track as the cold snap sweeps across Britain. Racing will get underway at 12.30pm with a two mile and three furlong maiden hurdle in class four before the last race of the day heads off at 3.59pm as a field of 14 take on the Bumper - a Flat race run over Jumps rules.

Warren Gatland has handed the keys to No.10 to Sam Costelow and told him: No pressure, mate! None at all, except for the fact that Costelow will start at outside-half in a Wales team that has lost its previous 11 matches, is facing world champions South Africa, and has been selected by a coach who may be one defeat away from the sack.

Geoff Lewis – the only Welsh jockey ever to ride a winner of the Derby – has picked up another trophy to add to his collection. The 88-year-old – winner of the 1971 Derby on Mill Reef – was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Welsh Horse Racing Awards in Cardiff on Thursday night.

Rob Howley still believes Warren Gatland is “the best coach in the world” and is backing him to pull Wales out of their worst losing run in their history. If the world champions South Africa end their international season with a win in Cardiff on Saturday it will condemn Wales to their 12th defeat in a row and make it the first winless year for the national side since 1937.

Craig Bellamy and Warren Gatland have more in common than simply being current Wales national coaches. They now share a similar history in their opening half a dozen matches in charge of their respective teams, games in which they both hit the ground, running - hard.