EBBW Vale muscled their way to a much-needed win against Bridgend at Eugene Cross Park that settles their nerves in the tight tussle for the Principality Premiership playoffs.

The Steelmen battered the Ravens in the tight to romp to a 45-3 success that gives them a smidgeon of breathing space in second place behind runaway leaders Pontypridd.

Ebbw needed to get back to winning ways after three league defeats on the spin, admittedly from tricky encounters with Cross Keys, Aberavon and Pontypridd.

And they turned to their pack to produce the goods with their trusty driving lineout and scrum ensuring that one-from-bottom Bridgend were never likely to get a shock win to pull away from cellar dwellers Newport.

There was not a great deal of guile about Vale’s play on a crisp night but the sledgehammer approach allowed confidence to grow as the crisp night turned perishing.

Ebbw made a dream start when a penalty enabled Carl Meyer to set up a driving lineout inside the 22 that captain Damien Hudd safely took at the front before the beefy pack marched over from 15 metres, flanker Ronny Kynes the man to dot down after five minutes.

Centre Adam Jones converted but was swiftly yellow-carded for killing the ball close to his line, an offence that allowed Bridgend full-back James Dixon to make it 7-3.

And a sharp piece of thinking nearly put the visitors in front after a quarter when Dixon took a quick tap penalty while Ebbw were expecting him to go for the corner from a penalty, with the former Newport man’s chip over the top forcing wing Tom James to scramble.

The Steelmen were having the better of the tight exchanges but could not make the most of that dominance in a scrappy, frustrating affair.

But on the half hour they stretched their lead to 12-3 thanks to a comical score by Ashley Sweet, who cruised over after a disastrous box-kick clearance by Bridgend scrum-half Derrick Tredray went straight up into the air and was tapped back into the grateful arms of the Ebbw lock.

And they took total command on the brink of half-time when referee Gareth John awarded a penalty try after another dominant driving lineout, although prop Ross Jones may well have scored anyway.

At 19-3 a Bridgend comeback never looked likely and it was more a case of the Steelmen securing their bonus point with another score.

It came just five minutes after the restart with centre Adam Jones going over after a cunning play off the back of a lineout while the Ravens were preparing themselves for the drive.

Job done but the Steelmen twisted the knife with pushover tries for Ross Jones and flanker  Kynes before a popular final score by back row forward Gareth Williams, who managed to stretch over despite a Devon Loch moment.

Ebbw Vale: C Meyer (T Watkins 40), T James, N Preece (D Langdon 45), A Jones, O Williams, I Smerdon, R Downes (C Thomas 62), R Jones (J Lavender 53), M Williams (R Francis 57), G Robinson (R Sevenoaks 53), D Hudd (captain), A Sweet, R Clarke (G Williams 65), R Kynes (G Rusby-Davies 65), C Regan.

Scorers: tries – R Kynes (2), R Jones, A Sweet, penalty, A Jones, G Williams; conversions – A Jones (5)

Bridgend: J Dixon (O Howe 63), A Williams (S Winn 57), C Lewis, R Evans, M Powell, L Jones, D Tredray (C Williams 53), M Auger (H Williams 53), H Wilkes (I Merriman 15), C Lewis (S John 50), R Hughes (H Williams 63), B Jones, A Evans (A O’Driscoll 53), Z O’Driscoll, A Waite.

Scorer: penalty – J Dixon

Referee: Gareth John (WRU)