Newport Secure Second Place
May 11, 2002

Newport secured runners-up spot in the Welsh-Scottish League after subduing an adventurous Bridgend side at Rodney Parade.

The teams shared eight tries, and it required an 80th minute penalty from fly-half Shane Howarth before Newport could breathe easily and eventually triumph 38-29.

The Black and Ambers had already seen their title chances disappear when Llanelli took the championship by fighting back brilliantly from a 17-point deficit to defeat Cardiff 28-25.

But a crowd of just over 7,000 still turned out for Newport's finale, bidding farewell to their retiring South African coach Ian Tosh.

Howarth booted Newport into an early 9-0 lead, kicking his third penalty after the Bridgend number eight Shaun Van Rensburg had been sin-binned for a deliberate offside.

Newport extended their lead through a penalty try that Howarth converted, and after Bridgend's Dafydd James had breached the home defence, Newport flanker Jason Forster added another score.

Although Bridgend fly-half Cerith Rees slotted a penalty just before the break, Newport looked to be home and dry on 42 minutes when their South African prop Adrian Garvey touched down.

Howarth's conversion made it 30-10, but Bridgend made a mockery of their lowly league position, hitting back defiantly through a penalty try, substitute hooker Andrew Joy's touchdown and another James effort after Newport's Canadian prop Rod Stow had claimed a popular score.

Newport were hanging on at 35-29 ahead, and it took Howarth's seventh successful kick to guarantee the victory the crowd craved.

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