NEWPORT Gwent Dragons Under-18s kept alive their hopes of making the WRU Regional Championship final after beating the Scarlets 29-14.

The region’s young guns made a slow start to the tournament but they have now won three on the spin to give themselves a shot of the title.

They sit fourth in the table with away fixtures remaining against RGC 1404 on Sunday and potentially a winner-takes-all clash with the Ospreys in Swansea next Wednesday.

The clash with the Scarlets at Ystrad Mynach was a must-win and wing Lloyd Lewis helped them make a perfect start when he crossed in the sixth minute before fly-half Arwel Robson made it 8-0 with a 15th-minute penalty.

Scarlets scrum-half Declan Smith reduced the deficit with a converted try but lock Max Williams went over before the break to give the Dragons a 13-7 lead.

The visitors were in the lead early in the second half when flanker Shaun Edwards crossed but that was to be their last score.

Robson inched the Dragons back in front 16-14 on 38 minutes and then booted another two penalties before back rower Joe Thomas secured the spoils at the death with a try that his fly-half converted.

The Blues top the table on 24 points, the Ospreys are second on 22, the Scarlets have 20 and the Dragons, with their game in hand, are on 14.

Remaining fixtures: Sunday – RGC 1404 v Dragons, Wednesday – Ospreys v Dragons, Scarlets v Blues