Steelmen slip up as O’Brien haul secures comeback win

NEWPORT came from behind to record their fifth win in as many games against Ebbw Vale at Eugene Cross Park.

Tries from Chay Smith, Matt O’Brien and Elliot Frewen plus 12 points from O’Brien’s boot was enough to secure the spoils.

Ebbw Vale scored two tries of their own courtesy of Dai Jones and Carl Meyer with Rhys Jones kicking 10 points.

The visitors opened the scoring with an O’Brien penalty but the Steelmen secured the game’s first try when scrum-half Jones sniped down the left wing to go over at the corner.

Ebbw Vale extended their lead when a defensive mistake from Newport allowed former Dragons star Meyer to regather possession just inches from the try line before touching down under the posts.

Newport scored again when Smith sliced through their defensive line before running in unopposed from 30 metres out.

Home skipper Ronny Kynes – making his 200th Ebbw appearance – was sent to the sin-bin with O’Brien and Frewen both crossing for tries for the visitors during as Kynes sat on the touchline.

But Jones reduced the deficit to just four points with a successful penalty on the stroke of half-time meaning Newport turned around 24-20 ahead at the interval.

The second-half was a far tighter affair and only yielded three points. But Newport sealed the win a late penalty from O’Brien. Star man Matt O’Brien - Newport