A TERRIFIC Gwent derby saw Newport win an absolute thriller with the very last kick of the game to deny Ebbw Vale what would have been an amazing comeback victory, writes Iwan Gabe Davies.

Black and Ambers outside-half Matt O’Brien held his nerve to slot over a penalty in the 80th minute to take all five points after his side had scored four bonus-point tries.

Vale had to settle for just one point after battling back from 24-8 down to nearly steal it in a classic at Eugene Cross Park.

The home side edged the first 10 minutes but it was the visitors who struck first when centre Chay Smith scored an attractive converted try, he and his midfield partner Adam Sabri combining brilliantly to fashion a score out of nothing from halfway.

The Steelmen’s worries worsened when their blindside flanker Rhys Clarke was sin binned after 18 minutes for obstruction.

Taking almost immediate advantage, the Black and Ambers went 12-0 up when loosehead prop John Lavender crashed over in the corner for an unconverted touchdown after his side exploited a sizeable overlap after laying siege to the Ebbw try-line.

The hosts tried to get back in the game but their sometimes telegraphed back play was easily kept in check by a well-organised Newport defence.

The Steelmen made the breakthrough they so desperately needed when full-back Dan Haymond finished superbly for an unconverted try after 31 minutes when their backs managed to create some space off decent lineout ball.

While the home side were badly let down by their handling at times, the slicker Newport hit them with a sucker punch on the stoke of half-time when full-back Haydn Simons was put through for his side’s third try which went unconverted.

The interval came with the city side 17-5 up.

Vale’s coaching staff read the Riot Act to their players during the break and they responded when they immediately hit back with a penalty by outside-half Callum Hall after good early pressure.

But they again shot themselves in the foot when they allowed Newport to score their bonus point try from the restart when the electric Simons romped over for his second , fly-half Matt O’Brien nailing the conversion for a healthy 24-8 lead.

But anything Simons could do, his opposite number Haymond was trying to prove he could do better, or at least just as well when he scored his brace after Ebbw scored a cracker after going through multiple phases.

The game ebbed and flowed, replacement fly-half Lewis Dennett reducing Newport’s lead to just six points when he slotted over a tricky penalty with 10 minutes to go.

And Haymond brought the house down with his hat-trick try, promising wing Toby Fricker playing a big part, before Dennett calmly slotted the conversion to put his side in the lead, 25-24, for the first time with just minutes to go.

A breathless finale had it all, including O’Brien missing a relatively easily penalty, before he went from villain to hero and break Ebbw hearts.

D Haymond, W Holley, T Hoppe (S Majkic 46), D Franchi (S Majkic 5-7), T Fricker; C Hall (L Dennett 64), D Jones (C Lewis 52); J Harries (R Jones 60), R Francis (J Franchi 60), R Sevenoaks (J James 65); K Parker, L Randall; R Clarke, R Kynes (capt) (O Jones 60), J Davies (C Regan 46).

Newport: H Simons, C Howells, C Smith, A Sabri, J Morris (H Lang 57), M O’Brien, R James (O Davies 60), J Lavender (M Prosser 65), H Palmer (E Whitson 64), G Harris (T Piper 55), M Burgess, J Bartlett (R Creswell 62), R Jenkins (capt), K Tayler, L Greggains.

Ebbw Vale scorers: Tries – D Haymond 31, 51, 74, Conversions – C Hall 51, L Dennett 74, Penalties – C Hall 42, L Dennett 70

Newport scorers: Tries – C Smith 10, J Lavender 21, H Simons 39, 43, Conversions – M O’Brien 10, 43, Penalty – M O’Brien 80.

Referee: Jason Bessant (WRU)

Argus star man: Dan Haymond