Newport rue Howarth failure

Newport 25 Cardiff 27

This was rip-roaring stuff that more than did justice to the 394 previous derby matches between the two biggest cities in east Wales dating back to 1876. The ghosts of great games past would have shuddered at the ferocity of the challenges and there was even a sting in the tail at the end of 80 minutes of helter-skelter action.

This was rip-roaring stuff that more than did justice to the 394 previous derby matches between the two biggest cities in east Wales dating back to 1876. The ghosts of great games past would have shuddered at the ferocity of the challenges and there was even a sting in the tail at the end of 80 minutes of helter-skelter action.

With four defeats in a row at the start of their Celtic League campaign, Newport needed something to kick-start their season and they began at such a pace they were 13-0 ahead in the first quarter and threatening to tear Cardiff apart.

The 8,000 fans were loving every minute of a full-blooded derby that was so pumped up the Irish referee, Dave McHugh, had to send two Cardiff forwards to the sin-bin in the opening half hour. Peter Rogers, once the darling of the Rodney Parade faithful, left to the loudest cheer of the night for jumping two-footed into a ruck and Dan Baugh exited for a deliberate trip.

There was blood, sweat and, for the Newport fans at least, tears in the end as the result of an extraordinary night of effort and entertainment came down to an injury-time penalty kick. How cruel life can be. Earlier Shane Howarth had become the first Newport player to break 1,000 points as he kept his team in touch with 17 points.

But it was not his five penalty successes that mattered most, but his three misses. That last one, from 31 metres, could, and should, have won the game for Newport. He knew that, the fans knew it too, but his captain, Simon Raiwalui, was not letting the fallen hero suffer on his own.

"Shane is a world class player, a true champion and no one should point the finger at him for our defeat," Raiwalui said. "He has won dozens of games for us and the truth is we should have had that game well won before he lined up that last kick." It may have been another agonising night for Newport, but they are improving. As for Cardiff, they simply get better and better and their back division looks set to tear apart a number of teams.

Morgan's third try put Cardiff ahead for the first time five minutes after the break and the lead changed hands four times in the second half. It would have been five if Howarth had hit the mark at the end.

Newport: Try M Mostyn. Conversion S Howarth. Penalties S Howarth 5. Drop Goal O Tonu'u. Cardiff: Tries C Morgan 3. Conversions I Harris 3. Penalties: I Harris 2.

Newport: M Pini (M Hook, 46); M Mostyn, S Williams, A Marinos (A Cadwallader, 68), L Nabaro; S Howarth, O Tonu'u; R Snow, J Richards (P Young, 70), C Anthony, S Raiwalui (capt), M Voyle, G Gravell (J Powell, 49), J Forster, S Ojomoh (A Powell, 49).

Cardiff: R Williams; N Walne, J Robinson, P Muller, C Morgan; I Harris, R Smith; P Rogers, A Lewis, K Fourie, H Senekal, J Tait, R Appleyard (G Powell, 20-25), M Williams (capt), D Baugh.

Referee: D McHugh (Ireland).