Jason Tovey scored a hat-trick of tries for the Dragons at Rodney Parade
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Matches: Dragons 26 - 16 Ulster

Tournaments/Tours: Magners League | Magners League

Teams: Dragons | Ireland | Ulster | Wales

Wales under-20 international Jason Tovey produced a virtuoso performance as the Dragons came back from the dead to steal a crucial Magners League victory over fellow basement strugglers Ulster at Rodney Parade.

The hosts were 16-8 behind at one stage but Tovey, via three tries and eight points with the boot, propelled the Welshmen to a 10-point victory which sees them leapfrog both Cardiff Blues and Ulster to seventh place in the table.

It did not start or finish well for Ulster as prop Tom Court was sent to the sin-bin by referee Neil Paterson for tripping home scrum-half Wayne Evans after four minutes. The Dragons took full advantage of their extra man when a neat move upfield saw centre Ashley Smith give Tovey a clear run to the line.

Ulster hit back quickly as fly-half Ian Humphreys banged over a penalty but the game disintegrated into a mistake-riddled mess for most of the first half. The biggest error came when Dragons flanker Joe Bearman failed to hold onto a kick into his 22 and Scotland wing Simon Danielli waltzed over, making Humphreys' conversion simple.

The Dragons began the second half on the offensive, moving near to the Ulster line before the danger was cleared. Fly-half Shaun Connor, whose confidence was struck in the first-half by a couple of glaring errors, missed with two long-range kicks before landing a third from 45 metres to put the home side back to within two points.

However, they shot themselves in the foot almost immediately when Wales prop Rhys Thomas was guilty of a late tackle on visiting full-back Clinton Schifcofske and spent 10 minutes in the bin. Schifcofske fired over the penalty and, when the Dragons went offside in midfield soon after, the former rugby league back booted the Irishmen into an eight-point advantage.

Coach Paul Turner put on former Wales full-back Kevin Morgan in place of Connor for his first game this season following serious injury but it was looking ominous for the Dragons as the hour mark came and went. Tovey, though, brought his side back to within a try of their opponents with a 25 metre penalty.

And, when Ulster captain Kieron Dawson was sent to the bin for illegal hands in a ruck, the Welshmen struck again. It was the impressive Tovey, now in Connor's fly-half role, who went over in the corner for the try that levelled the match. He popped over another penalty towards the end and then intercepted a pass in the Ulster 22 in the last minute to go under the posts, convert, and seal a superb solo display.

Newport Gwent Dragons: Tovey; Thomas, Gomer Davies, Smith; Fussell, Connor, Evans; Black, Willis (captain), Thomas, Jones, Macdonald, Bearman, Parks, Evans

Replacements: Jones, Hall, Hall, Webb, Dollman, Morgan, Lewis

Ulster: Schifcofske; Clinton, Trimble, Andrew, Cave, Steinmetz, Danielli; Humphreys, Boss; Court, Brady, Botha, O'Donoghue, Caldwell, Pollock, Dawson (captain), Henry

Replacements: Phillpott, Young, Del Fava, McCullough, Willis, Whitten, O'Connor