NEWPORT gained revenge for their defeat at Pandy Park and maintained their impressive run with this victory at Rodney Parade on Saturday, but were given the toughest of battles by injury-hit Cross Keys.

Their visitors could not fill their bench, had no back five replacements and included a hooker from Division Five Bettws among the substitutes, while number eight Rhys Williams began despite a shoulder injury which forced him off early.

At one stage, for a ten-minute spell while flanker Ben Watkins received stitches above a cut eye, they had five front-row players on the field, two playing in the back row, and it was during this period Newport took the lead for the first time.

But despite their difficulties Keys maintained a strong physical challenge, tackled like demons against a severe lack of possession, particularly from the lineout, and still managed to pose the occasional danger on the counter-attack.

A fierce, swirling wind, which Newport chose to play into in the first half, enabled Keys to take a 13-5 interval lead, though they were aided by Newport conceding numerous turnovers and gifting them a try.

After two penalties by Keys full back Darren Miles, Newport drove flanker Sam Waldron over for a try before, in the 23rd minute, a wild pass behind their backs was seized upon by Keys outside-half Scott Mitchell, who set up a try for Lee Humphries via fellow centre Dan Dark.

When Newport scored in the first minute of the second half, outside-half Daniel Griffiths' short pass putting centre Richard Payne over from close range, it looked as though they might run away with things with the elements in their favour.

But with talented scrum-half James Ireland having a miserable game by taking too much upon himself against his former club, Newport somehow lost their way against determined defence.

It was only in the final quarter that they regained control, two more of the seven former Keys players in their squad, lock Darren Davies and flanker Nick Kelly, breaking from a maul for the former to supply the latter with a try.

Griffiths converted and five minutes later danced through a static Keys midfield for a try he himself converted.

Waldron and number eight Rhys Jones were again prominent for Newport in a forward-dominated match which, perhaps because there were so many former players of either side in opposing ranks, at times threatened to boil over.

Former Newport prop Ian George, who last week signed a new contract for Keys, and hooker Gerwyn Price put in some big hits for Keys, for whom skipper and acting lock Will Thomas set a fine example.

The backs were rarely brought into play, but Payne always looked a threat for Newport, while young Keys wing Nathan Williams, their top try-scorer, again showed enough to suggest that if he could find another yard of pace he would be a real prospect.

Newport: J Rowles, G Chapman, R Shorney, R Payne, S Ireland, D Griffiths, J Ireland (G Hall 65min), I Evans (D Pattison 65min), K Crawford (A Brown 42min), G Robinson, D Davies, M Veater, N Kelly (M Popham 71min), S Waldron, R Jones.

Scorers: tries: Waldron, Payne, Griff-iths, Kelly; conversions: Griffiths (3). Cross Keys: D Miles, M McKee (D Price 72min), L Humphries, D Dark, N Williams, S Mitchell, G Betts, I George, G Price, C Gould, M Curtis, W Thomas, B Watkins, D Tovey, R Williams (R Draper 54min).

Scorers: try: Humphries; conversion: Miles; penalties: Miles (2).