NEWPORT failed to hit the heights of their terrific win over Llanelli on Saturday but still ran in seven tries to plant a further nail in Newbridge's relegation coffin at Rodney Parade last night.

You have to feel sorry for Newbridge. They dominated the first twenty minutes but squandered three gilt-edged try-scoring chances.

They then had prop Andrew Oliver yellow-carded for slowing down ruck ball when just 5-3 down after 29 minutes and promptly conceded two further tries.

And in the last twenty minutes two knocks-on lost them two more try-scoring chances.

But it's too easy to say you get no luck when you're down. The chances were created and some at least should have been taken, and that is down to poor skills which must be improved if they are to stay in the Premier Division.

Newport coach David Rees, a former Newbridge playing star, was generous. "Newbridge have improved and they have just got to keep working. They have a good squad and I don't know why they are in the position they are."

He added: "We probably turned over more ball in that game than in the last ten, but we were tired after a tough game on Saturday."

Newport again dominated the lineout, but were held in the scrums and turned over far too much ball. Number eight Rhys Jones' work off the back of the scrum was also too predictable.

But their ball-handling was always too slick for their rivals who, nevertheless, exposed midfield defensive weaknesses at times and for whom young flanker Tom Lampard, centre Christian Wills (before going off) and lock Wayne Sims did well.

Jonathan Williams kicked four penalties for Newbridge, the first to give them a tenth-minute lead, and pulled them back to 20-12 after 44 minutes after hooker Andrew Brown, flanker Sam Waldron and centre Steve Ireland (when Newbridge were down to 14 men) and full back James Rowles had given Newport a 20-6 interval lead.

But though the game seldom rose above average in the second half, Grant Hall (having moved from scrum half to the wing), centre Rhys Shorney and Rhys Jones added further tries, all of which outside half Daniel Griffiths converted.

Newport: J Rowles, S Reed (J Ireland 49min), S Ireland (A Walker 64min), R Shorney, W Kershaw-Naylor, D Griffiths, G Hall, I Evans (G Mason 60min), A Brown (P Young 70min), S Cronk (D Pattison 70min), D Davies, B Thompson (M Veater 42min), N Kelly (M Popham 49min), S Waldron, R Jones.

Scorers: tries: A Brown, S Waldron, S Ireland, J Rowles, G Hall, R Shorney, R Jones; conversions: D Griffiths (3)

Newbridge: J Williams, C Arnold (R Hallett 54min), G Bowen (G Ferguson 54min), C Wills (P Jones 64min), M Addis, R Watts, C Miller, A Oliver, D Williams, C Fitzpatrick, W Sims, P Watkins, S Evans (N Coles 54min), T Lampard, J Bowd. Scorers: penalties: J Williams (four)