REVENGE was sweet for Ebbw Vale last night.

Having been beaten 33-20 by Swansea in the Celtic League at St Helens on Saturday, it ws a different story at Eugene Cross Park last night as the Steelmen held on for a hard-fought 16-13 win over the Whites.

This was good old fashion tough Welsh rugby - all the talk in the Principality may be about the imminent arrival of provincial sides, but last night's match showed there is plenty of passion and commitment left in the club game.

And for Ebbw Vale to win their opening Welsh Premier League match was a huge boost, with struggling Bridgend their next opponents at home on Saturday (2.30pm), the Steelmen have a great chance to make the best possible start to their campaign.

But feet are being kept firmly on the ground at the end of a very close game, even if coach Mike Ruddock was in a jovial mood.

"We're top of the league, aren't we?" quipped Ruddock before adding: "It's great to get a win, but we aren't getting carried away, if Swansea had been at full strength then we could well have lost that game through inexperience.

"We didn't capitalise on our forward domination and we'll need to do better than that to beat Bridgend on Saturday."

Irish fly half Mark Meenan gave Vale an early lead with a penalty before Ebbw poached a try from a continued pressure as Meenan launched a deep cross-field kick and wing Nick Wakely was alert enough to make the catch in the in-goal area and touch down for the try.

With Meenan adding the conversion, Vale were 10-0 ahead ahead in the opeing fifteen minutes.

But even without prop Ben Evans and flanker Colin Charvis, who were away in Wrexham on international duty, Swansea can still field an impressive side and fly-half Arwel Thomas put them back in the game.

First Thomas landed a penalty, then he launched a towering kick which dropped into the Vale defence without being claimed and the ball was worked to Swansea flanker Rory Jenkins and the former Harlequins player briushed off several tackles to score.

Thomas' conversion levelled the scores at 10-all at half time.

Two penalties by Vale's Meenan and one in reply from Thomas made it 16-13 to Ebbw as the second-half became a war of attrition as the two sides produced immense defence. With time running out and sensing defeat, Swansea threw their all in to attack and only some last-ditch tackles held them out, especially in the dying minutes.

The only bad news for Vale is that lock Neil Edwards has aggravated his shoulder injury and faces a lengthy lay off.

Ebbw Vale: R Davies, N Wakley, M Ridley, P Matthews, A Takarangi, M Meenan, B Shelbourne, A Black, L Phillips (c), (rep J Evans 10 mins), M Jones, O Booyse (C Billen 80), N Edwards (P Sidoli 45 mins), R Williams, K Tuipulotui, P Williams. Scorers: try: N Wakely, con: Meenan, pens: Meenan (3)

Swansea: S Payne, J Vaughton, S Winn, S Gibbs, M Robinson, A Thomas, R Jones, D Morris, C Balshen (C Wells 61), D Dorsey, J Slade (J Griffiths 74), A Farley, R Jenkins, D Thomas (R Francis 74), J Bater. Scorers: try: R Jenkins, con: Thomas, pens: Thomas (2)