AFTER a dramatic last seven days of sport in the city, the Black and Ambers kept the feel-good factor very much alive to add to Newport County AFC’s heroics of last weekend with a wonderful win that takes them to the Premiership Tier Two final, writes Iwan Gabe Davies.

This thrilling, last-gasp and thoroughly deserved win over Llanelli came after County’s sensational Sky Bet League 2 survival at Rodney Parade last weekend.

It also followed the Newport RFC shareholders’ momentous decision to overwhelmingly vote in favour of a Welsh Rugby Union takeover of Newport Gwent Dragons.

The Black and Ambers overcame the absence of key players in injured back row forward Rhys Jenkins and outside-half Arwel Robson, called up by Wales for the World Rugby Under-20s Championship, to take the spoils.

Replacement prop Matt Prosser was the unlikely star of the show after his last-minute try won the game, the second ‘Great Escape’ after Mark O’Brien’s last-minute winner for County a week earlier.

A fairly even first 10 minutes or so was just shaded by the visitors who took the lead through a penalty by their full-back Dion Jones.

The hosts were soon in the lead however when young lock James Little crossed for a try with a little help from his friends from a driving lineout.

Fly-half Matt O’Brien’s fine touchline conversion made it 7-3 after 25 minutes.

Newport had a further great opportunity for another driving lineout in the Llanelli 22, but O’Brien went from hero to villain by kicking his attempted penalty to touch over the dead ball line.

Newport should have gone into the interval 10-3 up only for O’Brien’s penalty attempt to hit the uprights.

It proved to be a cruel piece of bad luck for Llanelli hit them with a sucker punch converted try, Jones finishing off an excellent counter attack move.

Llanelli dominated the third quart and they went 17-7 up after centre Ryan Davies crossed for a converted try after the Black and Ambers made a right mess of trying an ambitious attacking move from deep.

But Newport hit back when lock Dan Partridge finished superbly for a 68th minute unconverted try after a long period of pressure.

It set up a grandstand finish as the hosts pressed and they were back within two points when full-back Geraint O’Driscoll put over a penalty.

Prosser brought the house down with his dramatic last-minute try, superbly converted by O’Drsicoll, to cap another amazing afternoon at Rodney Parade.

Newport: G O’Driscoll; W Cunliffe, C Smith, T Pascoe (T Riley 41), J Morris; M O’Brien (L ap Myrddin 64), R James (capt) (O Davies 64); N Boyce (M Prosser 58), H Palmer (E Whitson 63), G Harris (T Piper 58, J Little (A Brown 63), D Partridge, D Mock (L Greggains 41), K Tayler, R Tucker, Newport scorers: Tries – J Little, D Partridge, M Prosser; Cons: M O’Brien, G O’Driscoll; Penalty: G O’Driscoll.

Llanelli: D Jones; A Evans, R Davies, N Edwards, T Rogers; I Hughes, M Flanagan (S Maynard 51); R Thomas (capt) (R Fawcett 58), T Davies, T Kaijaks (D Jacobs 79), C Long, B Davies, N Hart, D Davis, J Condy.

Llanelli scorers: Tries – D Jones, R Davies; Cons: D Jones (2); Pen: D Jones.

Referee: Gareth Newman (WRU) Argus star man: Geraint O’Driscoll