BEDWAS maintained the Indian sign over Newbridge on Saturday with their sixth successive win in fixtures between the sides, and third in a row at the Welfare Ground.

For both sides it was almost a complete turnaround from recent displays, Bedwas improving vastly from three losses, the last what their coaches described as an "inept' display against Llanharan, and Newbridge taking a backward step after easily defeating Caerphilly and impressing in defeat against Newport.

Newbridge backs coach Jonathan Westwood said beforehand the game would be determined by their respective squad strength as it was both sides' third tough game in eight days.

So perhaps the fact they started with nine changes from the side which started against Newport proved their undoing, though afterwards they offered no excuses.

Bedwas deserved to win for they were both the more cohesive and more adventurous side, even if they sometimes over-elaborated in slippery conditions which contributed to a game littered with mistakes, with all five tries scored stemming from errors.

Bedwas' first followed a wayward lineout tap by Newbridge lock Joe Powell, which flanker Craig Hill latched onto before half-backs Rob Phillips and Andrew James and centre John Welch put impressive wing Nathan Hill over for the first of his two tries.

That made it 10-0 after an opening quarter dominated by the visitors before a kick by Newbridge scrum-half Matthew Taylor was made a horlicks of by Bedwas full back Rob Sweeney to allow Jonathan Williams in for a try he converted.

Thereafter, Newbridge got on top, and two Williams penalties on the way to all his side's 16 points put them 13-10 ahead just after the break.

But then a weak clearance kick enabled James to put Welch through for a converted try, and though another Williams penalty pulled Newbridge back to within a point, Bedwas had gained control and finished strongly.

Nevertheless, a moment of aberration by Newbridge's Christian Wills handed them the advantage, for after escaping two tackles as he ran along his own line, Wills continued to run with time to clear and was nailed by a third tackle, the ball going forward.

From the resulting scrum, number eight Deri Mattravers fed Hill on the inside and the wing's pass put centre Gareth Miles over.

Three minutes later another weak clearance kick gave Bedwas the chance to run the ball back for Hill easily to side-step Wills for his side's fourth touchdown.

Hill and outside-half James, who changed tack and kicked for position well in the final quarter, were the pick of the Bedwas backs, while skipper Rhodri Edwards led a pack in which loose head John Tilley was prominent, with gusto.

For a lacklustre, surprisingly passionless Newbridge side Williams was the one effective back, and No 8 Simon Greedy one forward to try to instil some intensity.

Newbridge: J Williams, C Arnold, G Bowen, S Parry (P Jones 64), C Wills, R Watts (R Hallett 64), M Taylor, A Oliver (D Alexander 70), D Williams, R Davies, J Powell (W Sims 65), P Watkins, S Greedy, N Coles (G Gladwyn 55), S Coles (S Evans 55). Scorers: try: J Williams; conversion Williams; penalties: Williams (three). Bedwas: R Sweeney, D Jones (S Sankala 78), J Welch, G Miles, N Hill, A James, R Phillips (S Jones 67), J Tilley (G Leonard 78), K Jarma (P McGhee 67), J Salter (M Pettit 68), R Edwards, A Edwards, P Wheeler, C Hill (L Howells 73), D Mattravers. Scorers: tries: N Hill (two), Miles, Welch; conversions: James (four); penalty: James.