NEWPORT got their Principality Premiership campaign off to a great start with a thoroughly deserved bonus point win over Neath at the Gnoll.

Much of the credit for their victory must go to their impressive pack, under the guidance of new forwards coach Ty Morris, for laying the foundation of their victory.

They bullied the Welsh All Blacks in the scrum, their lineout was solid but they will have to work harder at the breakdown where they were frequently frustrated by the hosts.

The Black and Ambers nearly let slip a game they dominated however after they allowed an 18-6 lead turn into a 22-18 deficit in the closing stages of a thrilling finale.

A penalty try four minutes from time saw them take the spoils in an encounter in which Newport Gwent Dragons openside flanker Ollie Griffiths was again outstanding.

The Rodney Parade side didn't start well however and found themselves six points down after less than five minutes when Neath put them under immense pressure, hooker Sion Crocker crossing for an unconverted try after No 9 Tom James took a quick tap penalty from short range.

But it was one-way traffic after that as Newport held the hosts in a stranglehold for the vast majority of the ensuing 75 minutes.

Although they dominated, they found it hard to break down a stubborn Neath side.

They weren't helped when lock and captain Adam Brown was yellow carded for impeding James as he tried to take another tap penalty.

Their score actually came from a catastrophic error from home full back Alec Jenkins who set off on a over ambitious run in his own 22.

The ball was turned over and a sweet cross kick by No 10 Matt O'Brien found centre Barney Nightingale who went over for an unconverted try just before the half-hour mark.

That was the only other score of a first half which ended with the sides deadlocked at 6-6.

Newport continued to boss the second 40 minutes and were soon in the lead when centre Haydn Palmer scored their second unconverted try after his teammates recycled the ball from a rock solid scrum five to give them a 12-6 advantage.

Neath were further in trouble when their centre Aaron Bramwell was sin binned soon after for offending at the breakdown.

Newport made them pay when replacement flanker Craig Attwell pounced on the ball after it shot out of a home scrum from five metres out for a lucky try.

Again O'Brien failed with the conversion but the Gwent side were now cruising, 18-6 up with just a quarter of the match to go.

Neath weren't going down without a fight however and were right back in the contest when replacement back row forward Steffan Jones scored the game's first converted try with just over 15 minutes to go.

And it looked as if they were going to steal the game after scoring a cracking try following a counter attack from deep, scrum half James finishing off a breathtaking move to score under the posts, Josh Matavesi's conversion making it 22-18 with eight minutes to go.

The nerve-shredding final saw the Black and Ambers take the spoils after O'Brien broke from deep when he took a quick tap penalty. They were awarded a penalty try when wing Elliott Frewen was impeded as he looked to take it quickly from under the Neath posts.

Newport captain Adam Brown and Neath replacement prop Nicky Downs were sent off in the dying minutes for fighting off the ball by referee Gwyn Morris, some of whose decisions baffled and angered both sets of supporters.

Joy then for Newport head coach Craig Warlow and his men who head into next week's Gwent derby away to Ebbw Vale with plenty of encouragement after a pleasing, hard- fought but entirely justified victory.

Neath: A Jenkins (D Howells 64); A Evans, R Evans, A Bramwell, J Jones; G McCarthy (J Matavesi 60), T James; A Coundley (N Downs 69), S Crocker (I Dobbs 69), O Jordan; R Jones, J Griffiths (J Barley 60); J Collier (captain), C Davies, A Jones (S Jones 51).

Replacements: M Jones, C Morgans, D Howell Neath scorers: Tries: Sion Crocker (5), Steffan Jones (64), Tom James (72), Conversions: Josh Matavesi (64), (72).

Newport: L Ap Myrddin (A Robson 51), A Hewitt, H Palmer, B Nightingale, E Frewen, M O'Brien. R James (J Lewis 58), J Lavender (J Greenfield 58), E Whitson, A Jeffries, A Brown (capt), R Jones, R Jenkins (C Attwell 37), O Griffiths, B Lampitt (B Morgan 66).

Replacements: W Evans, T Piper, J Morris.

Newport scorers: Tries: Barney Nightingale (28), Haydn Palmer (50), Craig Attwell (59), Penalty try (74).

Referee: Gwyn Morris Argus star man: Ollie Griffiths