Ebbw Vale 22 Cardiff 20

HISTORY repeated itself at a snowy Eugene Cross Park when Ebbw Vale staged a magnificent fightback to beat Cardiff at home for the second year running.

Vale trailed 17-3 at the interval and looked beaten, but their fantastic spirit and never-day-die attitude turned a tremendous game on its head.

They still trailed 20-19 into injury time and must have thought it was another case of so near, yet so far.

Six of their previous defeats had been by single-figure margins and another two by ten and eleven point gaps.

But after an unlucky run of six losses in a row, this was the one they wanted to win.

And Vale showed watching Wales coach Graham Henry and the WRU they were better than the biggest-paying side of the so-called elite Gang of Six and that professional rugby in North Gwent deserves to survive.

Make no mistake, this was a Vale performance to lift the spirits, a victory for mind over matter, and the reception they received from their biggest crowd of the season at the final whistle was more than well deserved.

Cardiff dominated the first half, turning the screw in the scrums and creating pressure.

Scrum half and captain Rob Howley was class itself while fellow Wales player, flanker Martyn William, had an impressive first full game since a long injury absence.

Young outside half Nicky Robinson kicked well, but nevertheless it was largely Vale's mistakes which led to the home side's deficit.

After Cull - a matchwinner with 17 points, including the clinching penalty in injury time, to follow all 25 against Newport - and Robinson had exchanged penalties, Cardiff were handed the lead.

Vale were penalised for delaying the throw-in for a second successive time and Cardiff made ground to set up a ruck before moving the ball wide inside Vale's 22 for Wales wing Anthony Sullivan to score.

Robinson converted after 32 minutes and six minutes later added the extra points when a weak defensive kick by Vale scrum half Kevin Ellis' was charged down by prop Peter Rogers for Williams to gather and put debutant Adam Jones over.

At the start of the second half Vale did well to twice hold Cardiff players up on their line and two more Cull penalties pegged it back to 17-9.

It was then that Vale finally got some momentum going and some superbly-placed touchfinders by outside half Scott Mitchell kept Cardiff firmly on the back foot, It was the Blue and Blacks' turn to panic and when Nicky Robinson's kick on his 22 was charged down, Mitchell was there to score and for Cull to add the conversion.

Soon after on 68 minutes Cull kicked Vale 19-17 ahead when Cardiff offended at a ruck on their 22, but three minutes later a Robinson penalty inched Cardiff back in front.

The visitors kept play in Vale's half until three minutes from time when they spilled the ball as they charged forward and man-of-the-match Mit- chell kicked them back to their own try line.

Vale desperately piled on the pressure and two minutes into injury time Cardiff were penalised at a ruck in front of their posts and Cull made no mistake.

A thrilling finish to a thrilling game - and more red faces for the men running Welsh rugby.

* In the picture: Ebbw Vale players celebrate victory.