BARNEY Nightingale scored what was “probably” the first hat-trick of his career at Pandy Park on Saturday, yet the teenager’s feat still wasn’t quite enough to see the hosts over the line.

The Dragons led for most of their British & Irish Cup clash with Greene King IPA Championship outfit Ealing, while Arwel Robson missed the chance to win the Pool 5 clash at the death.

Fly-half Robson, who had a hand in all three of Nightingale’s tries, couldn’t convert a penalty which would have given the Dragons their maiden victory in the competition this season.

They had to settle for a losing bonus point instead, leaving them bottom of their group behind the table-topping Trailfinders, Yorkshire Carnegie and Bedford.

After the final whistle, it was a mixture of emotions for Dragons Academy centre Nightingale, who plays his club rugby for Cross Keys at Pandy Park.

“It’s probably the first hat-trick I’ve scored,” he said. “I don’t score many tries so it was a good day.

“I didn’t really have to do much, I just supported the ball carrier and took the passes to score.

“Scoring more tries is something I always look to do and there is always room to improve.

“But I don’t really mind if I score or not, as long as I’m doing my job of tackling and passing then I’m happy.”

He added: “The win was there for the taking but some days you win, some days you lose.

“It was disappointing but they are a top quality side in the Championship.

“We haven’t had a win yet but you can see the game plan is working, purely from how we are playing.

“For us young players wanting to step up to regional level this is where we want to play and this is a competition we want to be in.”

In head coach Alex Codling, full-back James Cordy-Redden, scrum-half duo Josh Davies Alex Walker, Dragons loanee Scott Andrews and second row partner Sam Pailor, Ealing had a number of men with Gwent links in their ranks.

The visitors edged the opening exchanges but the Dragons got on the scoreboard first, thanks largely to the elusive running of Robson.

From a scrum near the Ealing 10-metre line, Robson saw a gap in the Trailfinders’ midfield and took full advantage of it.

Nightingale was on his shoulder and had the easy task of touching down under the posts.

Robson converted but Ealing struck back almost immediately, pressuring the Dragons into conceding a penalty that outside-half Aaron Penberthy kicked to make it 7-3.

However, the seven-point gap was restored courtesy of a Robson penalty, and the same player helped set up his side’s second try.

His up and under was fumbled by former Keys favourite Cordy-Redden and hacked towards the try line by Nightingale.

Despite the attentions of Davies, the outside centre coolly gathered his kick ahead to score again. Robson added the extras.

Up to this point, Ealing had shown little of their running game, so it was probably apt that they opened their try tally through a driving lineout.

The Dragons couldn’t stop the rumble when it got going and hooker Rhys Lawrence emerged with the ball to claim the score. Penberthy’s conversion went wide.

Ealing spent the remainder of the half deep in Dragons territory and they closed the gap to 17-15 with a converted Callum Wilson try on the last play.

The second half was a largely scrappy affair and in the end came down to a kicking duel between Robson and Penberthy.

However, that battle followed further tries for both sides.

Spotting a mismatch in midfield, Robson jinked his way through a gap before finding scrum-half Owen Davies, he fed Nightingale and the youngster swooped for his hat-trick score.

The successful conversion made it 24-15 to the Dragons, however, Ealing wouldn’t go away and replacement Mark Bright’s try, along with Penberthy’s extras, made it a two-point game again.

Penberthy then gave Ealing the lead for the first time with a three-pointer.

After missing a penalty of his own, Robson made it 27-25, only for his opposite number to respond with a superb long-range effort.

There was still time for the Dragons to snatch it but Robson couldn’t find the target with two penalties and a drop-goal late on.

Dragons: W Talbot-Davies, M Powell, B Nightingale, C Edwards (J Dixon 40), J Rosser, A Robson, O Davies; J Lavender, E Shipp, L Brown, J Davies, R Clarke, J Skinner (capt), A Waite, R Blake (I Jones 45). Reps not used: A Rees, R Cornock, A Brown, O Leonard.

Referee: Matt Turvey (England)

Argus star man: Arwel Robson