EBBW Vale clinched a deserved derby victory against Newport in a match that saw five yellow cards brandished.

The Steelmen hadn’t beaten the Black and Ambers at Eugene Cross Park since 2008 but took the spoils thanks to their powerful pack with Dragons hooker Rhys Buckley securing a bonus point with the final play.

Newport started promisingly and caused Ebbw early problems with their lively backs.

The visitors turned down an easy penalty to go for the corner and marched forwards with their driving lineout, which was stopped illegally.

Wing Aled Brew took a quick tap and the pressure resulted in centre Barney Nightingale diving over down the left.

The Wales Under-20s centre then squandered a huge overlap down the same wing and the Black and Ambers were made to pay.

The penalty count for both sides was rising rapidly and referee Craig Evans warned both captains about their indiscipline before yellow carding visiting flanker Craig Attwell. Ebbw took advantage with flanker Ronny Kynes going over from a driving lineout.

Newport’s Ollie Griffiths, playing at number eight rather than openside, was then sin-binned for a scuffle with Wales Under-20s teammate Harri Keddie, Mr Evans indicating that he had used his shoulder, and that allowed the Steelmen to end the half on the front foot.

They piled the pressure on inside the 22 with their driving lineout and scrum to earn an eight-point penalty try with the final play of the half.

No sooner were Newport back to full strength following the restart than they lost John Lavender, the former Ebbw loosehead, to the sin bin.

The hosts failed to barge their way over and it took until the final quarter for them to put the game to bed.

With replacement back row Cameron Regan now in the bin, the Steelmen opted to kick a penalty with full back Dan Haymond making it 16-6.

And the game was done and dusted when wing David Williams picked off a pass by flanker Rhys Jenkins to go under the posts.

Newport ended the game on top but were unable to force their way over and Ebbw had the last word when a superb touch-finder ended with a driving lineout, Buckley hitting his man and then powering over.

Ebbw Vale: D Haymond, T Watkins (S Jones 54), J Howells, D Franchi, D Willliams, D Langdon, T Edwards (L Jones 48), R Jones (I George 54), M Williams (R Buckley 48), G Robinson (R Sevenoaks 56), D Hudd (c), R Clarke (A Sweet 48), L Crocker, R Kynes (C Regan 48), H Keddie.

Scorers: tries – R Kynes, D Williams, R Buckley, penalty try; conversions – D Haymond, penalty try; penalty – D Haymond

Newport : L Ap Myrddin, A Brew (J Morris 70), H Palmer, B Nightingale, E Frewen, M O'Brien (A Robson 56), O Davies (J Lewis 70), J Lavender (T Piper 47), E Whitson (M Prosser 70), A Jeffries, Adam Brown (capt), B Lampitt (B Morgan 51), R Jenkins, C Attwell, O Griffiths.

Scorer: try – B Nightingale

Star man: R Kynes

Referee: Craig Evans