In a nail-biting finish, Newport Wasps gained a thrilling home Premier League victory over Exeter Falcons at the Hayley Stadium yesterday afternoon, ending the West Country side's dominance over the Welsh club this season.

Wasps had lost four times before yesterday's meeting and, staggeringly, they only led twice in the 15 heats - the first and last.

In a dramatic start to the meeting, Pavel Ondrasik and Karl Mason rode to a 5-1 maximum in a rerun after Falcons guest rider Chris Harris, in for the injured Mark Lemon, was excluded after unseating Newport's Czech Republic rider in a high-speed tumble. Ondrasik fell on the third bend, but such was Harris' speed that he hit the fence at the start of the pits bend.

Harris was excluded and Michael Coles suffered engine troubles, allowing Karl Mason to finish second.

But the Falcons' high-scoring reserve pairing of Graeme Gordon and Nick Simmons immediately reversed the scoreline in the following heat, and the visitors looked set for a fifth straight win over the Wasps - until Ondrasik, with skipper Craig Watson, stormed to a maximum last-heat success to gain a win by two points.

The in-form Watson rode to yet another 15-point maximum, while Ondrasik, after three straight heat wins, finished on 12 points - one ahead of Mads Korneliussen, who also gained three heat victories.

Tim Stone, Newport promoter, said: "The meeting took your breath away, always on a knife- edge - and what a finish to the meeting!

"We needed a maximum win, and with the rain falling it was never easy."

It was not easy for the riders - reflected in the times recorded - and Stone added: "With the amount of rain we had on Saturday most other places would have put up the 'postponed' notices.

"And then we had more rain between the two meetings."

Wasps trailed by six points after heat nine but, as a team, they displayed great resilience. In the final six heats, three ended all square and Wasps won the last three. Watson had a three-heat win, and there was one apiece for Ondrasik and Korneliussen.

Reserve Barrie Evans scored only two points from five rides - but his second was precious, scoring in a 4-2 heat-14 win which closed the gap to two points - and Evans was close to helping Korneliussen to a maximum.

Evans held second place for much of the four laps, but Graeme Gordon, now riding so well at reserve for Exeter, finally overhauled him.

However, it was all in vain because there was no stopping Ondrasik and Watson in the final heat, which sealed a dramatic second-league win.

Watson said: "It was a great meeting; an inspirational meeting. We were behind for so long, and to come back like that and win was quite something.

"I felt really good again and I'm exceptionally happy with the result. At one point I thought we had left it too late, but a 4-2 in heat 14 gave us hope for a last-heat decider, and with Pavel in such good form we thought we could do it."

Wasps: Pavel Ondrasik 12+1 (5), Tony Atkin (rider replacement), Kristian Lund 3 (5), Mads Korneliussen 11 (5), Craig Watson 15 (5), Barrie Evans 2 (5), Karl Mason 3+2 (5).

Falcons: Chris Harris 3+1 (3), Michael Coles 6+1 (4), Roger Lobb 10+1 (5), Mark Simmonds 5+2 (4), Seemond Stephens 5 (4). Graeme Gordon 11+1 (7), Nick Simmons 4+3 (4).