WHAT a difference a card makes. Whether referee Nigel Owen put much thought into his is another question.

But the fact that Keys lock Charlie Heaven was sin binned in the 49th minute totally rocked this game from the players' boots to their gum shields.

Heaven's yellow card was the dramatic turning point in this heated encounter, one that kept Keys in the midst of a relegation battle and allowed Pooler to claw their way back onto the promotion track - just.

Keys had deservedly led 8-6 until referee Owen's critical decision in a game where skill was put on a back burner to accommodate 50 minutes of chaos. Quite why Owen pulled the yellow card from his pocket left many in the crowd bemused, but it was the spark that lit the Pooler fire as they roared into action with two killer tries while Heaven watched painfully from the touchline.

Keys coach Dai Rees admitted he couldn't understand the decision, but was full of praise for his opponents' tactics that followed.

"The result was a bit unfair, but to be honest I could not have asked for any more from the boys. They gave 100 percent and an excellent performance for 60 minutes," he said.

"We were hit physically by the sin binning. Not being critical, because I think Nigel is a good referee, but that decision cost us the game. I couldn't see clearly why it was made.

"But not taking it away from Pontypool they took full advantage of the situation and scored some good tries," Rees said.

Up until Heaven's sin-binning Pooler looked once again in dire straits and a second defeat in a row seemed a very real possibility.

Keys on the other hand were champing at the bit for a victory that would ease their relegation worries and while Pooler flyhalf Byron Hayward missed a number of penalty kicks both sides looked static and ragged with the ball.

Pooler scrum half Nicky Lloyd too often found himself open with the ball without players in support, while Keys had a succession of chances but failed to keep the ball in hand.

The home side touched down with just two minutes gone when Nicky Lloyd's pass was well intercepted by flyhalf Gethin Worgan who blazed upfield. Pooler backtracked well to hold play to a driving maul, but when the ball was spun wide to wing Neil McKim he was unstoppable.

Pooler still looked slack after the break, but with the sin-binning took control. They nailed five tries starting with a Cae Treherne effort. A neat pass by Hayward saw Stephen John burst over, while a slick blindside move released David Smith for the third.

Good hands from the impressive Mike Powell allowed Hayward to jet over to seal the game, before awesome centre Ben Jefferies punched his way over for the final score.

Cross Keys: J Pizey (M Lovell 44m), N McKim, R Davies, M McCarthy, S Marshall, G Worgan, N Hope, I Evans, F Vunapola, D Crimmins (Matthew John 59m), C Heaven, M Veater, M Wood, T Morris, S Gardner. Tries: N McKim, Pens: G Worgan.

Pontypool: D Smith (S Lawrence 65m), J Griffin, B Jefferies, J Hawker (J Taylor 65m), S John, B Hayward, N Lloyd, A Phillips, L Jones (C Thomas 35m), L Mustoe, M Powell, K Faletau (G Taylor 62m), S Waldron, C Treherne, M Jones (A Howarth 47m).

* In the picture: Keys' Neil Hope gets the ball away.