NEWPORT find themselves bogged down in the Principality Premiership relegation mire once more after a shocking second half performance saw them unable to see off 14-man Neath.

The match should have been turned on its head when the visitors’ ex-Newport Gwent Dragons loosehead Aaron Coundley was sent off in the 27th minute for a punch.

The prop was given a red card for a punch after the hosts had been awarded a penalty.

The home side were red-hot favourites to go on and win it from then, although Neath had show great spirit up until then and led 13-8 at that stage.

The Black and Ambers did take the game by the scruff of the neck for the rest of the first half and led 18-13 at the interval.

But what followed in the second half beggared belief as Neath took control and deservedly took the spoils.

The hosts got off to a disastrous start when Coundley crashed over for a try in the opening minutes, fly half Dai Langdon converting.

Black and Ambers full back Geraint O’Driscoll pulled back three points back with a penalty but that was soon cancelled out by Langdon, although Neath should have been further ahead when hooker Sion Crocker was just held up over the try-line.

A sparkling try by Newport lively wing Jonathan Morris made it 10-8, O’Driscoll’s conversion sailing wide.

An entertaining encounter saw the Welsh All Blacks go five points up in 25th minute when Langdon dropped a goal.

Coundley’s red mist moment happened soon after and the home side soon took advantage with a smart try, a quick throw- in saw lock Adam Frampton feed wing Elliot Frewen who passed to Owen Davies, the scrum half finishing off the move, O’Driscoll’s conversion giving his side a 15-13 lead.

With their openside flanker and captain Ollie Griffiths leading by example, the Black and Ambers threatened to run riot towards the end of the first half but failed to capitalise on quite a few golden chances to really press their one-man advantage home.

They did however manage to stretch their lead just before the interval when O’Driscoll landed a penalty with the last movement of the half.

The No 15 should have put them further ahead in the opening minutes of the second half only for his shot at goal to hit the uprights.

Neath hadn’t read the script however and they battered away at the hosts’ try-line.

They were rewarded for their hard work, guts and endeavour when centre James Thomas barged over for a touchdown in the 58th minute, Langdon’s conversion restoring his team’s lead at 20-18.

And the reliable outside half’s well struck penalty gave them a five-point buffer just a minute or so later as Newport lost their grip on the game completely, making error after error.

They did pull themselves together a little more with a quarter of an hour to go as they tried to salvage a win.

More almost unforgivable mistakes followed, including a crooked lineout throw from five metres out when they turned down the chance of a scrum, as their efforts became ever more desperate and frantic.

Morris almost crossed in the dying minutes only to be hauled down by some heroic Neath defence and an overlap was butchered by the hosts in a nerve-shredding finale.

Newport: Geraint O'Driscoll, Jonathan Morris, Dan Robinson, Jamie Murphy (Barney Nightingale 40), Elliot Frewen, Julian Mogg, Owen Davies (Andrew Quick 58), James Greenfield (Dai Pattison 58), Dale Rogers (Evan Whitson 73), Alex Jeffries, Adam Brown, Adam Frampton (Dan Partridge 47), Rhys Jenkins, Ollie Griffiths (capt), Sam Feehan.

Replacements: James Monck, Ross Gibbon, Jonathan Lewis.

Newport scorers: Tries – Morris, Davies, Conversions – O’Driscoll, Penalties – O’Driscoll (2).

Neath: Ashley Evans, James Davies (Lloyd Phillips 15), Ryan Evans, Luke Ford (James Thomas 40), Alec Jenkins, Dai Langdon, Thomas James, Aaron Coundley, Sion Crocker (Ieuan Dobbs 67), Marc Jones (Owen Jordan 67), Leon Ward (Nicky Downs 37), John Barle, Jordan Collier, Lee Beach (capt), Steffan Jones.

Replacements: Alex Humfrey, Alun Jones, Rhodri Cole.

Neath scorers: Tries – Coundley, Thomas, Conversions – Langdon (2), Penalties – Langdon (2), Drop goal – Langdon.

Referee: Chris Williams (WRU)