NEWPORT have been crowned Principality Premiership tier two champions at the Gnoll in Neath tonight.

Craig Warlow’s men outscored the hosts by four tries to one and were deserved winners in a game that produced five yellow cards.

Pressure from the Neath pack at an early scrum yielded the first points of the contest, full-back Ed Howley’s penalty putting the hosts 3-0 up inside two minutes.

But the Black and Ambers, who finished above Neath in the tier two table on games won, didn’t take long to strike back.

Newport’s opening score came when an up and under by the home side fell kindly to visiting wing Elliot Frewen.

Neath’s Rhys Jones did his best to slow the ball down but quick hands from captain Adam Brown and fellow forward Rhodri Jones set Lennon Greggains free and the flanker crashed over out wide.

Geraint O’Driscoll added the extras with a well-struck conversion to make it 7-3.

When Howley was presented with a chance to cut the deficit to one the former Newport man opted to go for the corner instead of the posts.

It looked a good decision when Neath forced their opponents into conceding two penalties in double-quick time 10 metres from their own line.

However, Newport defended their whitewash superbly and snaffled a turnover which saw them clear the danger.

But on 25 minutes the hosts did get on the scoreboard again, Howley slotting another penalty after Newport were guilty of slowing the ball down illegally.

Neath were then able to exploit some gaping holes in the Newport defence with number eight Leon Ward and Gavin Evans both making clean line breaks.

And the Welsh All Blacks duly took the lead soon after as Howley bisected the posts for a third time, Newport captain Brown the transgressor on this occasion.

But no sooner had they regained the initiative were Neath behind again, O’Driscoll making it 10-9 with another three-pointer.

Seconds later, the Black and Ambers were down to 14 men with prop Nicky Boyce going to the sin bin for using his hands in a ruck.

Looking to make the most of their numerical advantage, Neath may well have had two tries before the interval.

Aaron Grabham was the unlucky man on both occasions, with a bouncing ball evading him twice in quick succession.

Despite still being a man down when the second half got under way, Newport almost grabbed another try.

Fly-half O’Driscoll, just like opposite number Evans had before the break, broke the defensive line with ease and Frewen crossed in the corner but the winger was deemed to be in touch.

Newport, with Boyce seconds away from returning to the field, were then reduced to 13 men, Garin Harris, the visitors’ other prop, being yellow carded.

The away side were back up to 14 when Neath registered their first try of the game.

There was little the covering Newport defence could do when the hosts spun the ball wide to winger Max Llewellyn who used his pace to dart over out wide.

In front once more, Neath were hoping to build on their 14-10 lead, however, the resilient Black and Ambers refused to go away and responded in the best way possible.

Another clean line break put the Neath defence on the back foot and second row Dan Partridge gleefully bounded across the try line.

Both sides lost a man, Jon Barley for Neath and Jones for Newport, following a fracas near the hosts’ line, although the visitors came out of it with O’Driscoll kicking a penalty to make it 18-14.

With the final 10 minutes approaching the game was still in the balance, but Newport landed a big blow thanks to O’Driscoll.

He converted his own try to knock the stuffing out of Neath and make sure his side had one hand on the trophy.

A fifth yellow card of the night, for home skipper Jordan Collier late in the match, summed up Neath’s plight.

And the penalty try that followed made absolutely sure it was Newport who would prevail.

Scorers, Neath: Tries – M Llewellyn, Pens – E Howley (3)

Newport: Tries – L Greggains, D Partridge, G O’Driscoll, penalty, Cons – G O’Driscoll (3), Pens – G O’Driscoll (2)

Neath: E Howley; A Grabham, M Llewellyn, M Pearce, G Llewellyn (K Corbisiero 79); G Evans, C Morgans; B Uphill (N White 64), S Crocker (I Phillips 52), G James (R Thomas 52), R Jones (J Griffiths 68 (I Evans 75)), J Barley, J Collier (capt), C Davies, L Ward (A Morris 64). Rep not used: D Guarneri.

Newport: L Ap Myrddin; J Morris (M Prosser 40+1-46, T Piper 47-57), C Smith, T Pascoe (T Riley 74), E Frewen; G O’Driscoll (H Simons 80+4), R James (O Davies 64); N Boyce, H Palmer, G Harris, A Brown (capt), D Partridge, R Jones, L Greggains, R Tucker (J Cullimore 80+4). Reps not used: E Whitson, J Little.

Referee: Gareth Newman (Cardiff)

Argus star man: Geraint O’Driscoll (Newport)