UP-AND-COMING tighthead prop Leon Brown is being tipped for a bright future in the professional game by Cross Keys head coach Greg Woods.

The 18-year-old, 6ft 2in and 17st 8lb Brown’s destructive power in the scrum was evident for all to see as Keys shocked Pontypridd on Saturday.

The Pandy Park side inflicted a first league defeat on the Principality Premiership champions since January with a breathtaking 24-22 home victory.

Ethan Davies’ excellent penalty from just inside Ponty’s half won the game with the last kick of the match, but it was Newport Gwent Dragons Academy player Brown who was the man of the match.

He and his front row colleagues, loosehead prop Luke Garrett and hooker Darren Hughes, gave the visitors a torrid afternoon in the scrum.

With such dominance in this area, Keys used it as a powerful platform to claw back from a 14-0 deficit early in the second half and secure a memorable triumph, their fifth success in a row after opening their league campaign with two defeats.

Woods was quick to praise the former Newport High School and current Wales Under-20s prop for his outstanding performance.

“I think we’ve got two excellent young props in Leon and Luke, and two fine older experienced ones (Richard Cornock and Anthony Lott) as well, so the club’s in a good place at the moment,” he said.

“At 18, Leon is a fantastic tighthead and, if he keeps improving, he has a really long future in the professional game ahead of him.

“The Dragons are watching him and I think he just needs to keep his head down.

“He has certainly brought energy to our pack.

“Leon is the perfect build for a tighthead, has an outstanding work rate and really enjoys the set piece, which is refreshing for a young prop.”

On beating the champions on the weekend, Woods added: “Beating Ponty is always special and I felt we deserved it.”