Bridgend 26 Newport 35. WHEN the fixture list for this season was drawn up Newport were clearly facing a double banana skin with Neath and Bridgend to be faced on successive Saturdays in September, both away.

These were the sides who had invested heavily in the summer and were looking to take Newport's place in the top four.

And when Newport lost at home to the weakest Irish province Connacht, Neath and Bridgend loomed large with victory at either ground highly unlikely.

Now those games have come and gone, and Newport have won them both to climb nicely into second place in the Welsh/Scottish League table.

Even the most rabid fan, maybe a bit down after the Joost van der Westhuizen disgrace followed by defeats against Cardiff and Connacht, would have settled for one win out of that pair.

But the double means Newport can go to Newcastle this week for their Heineken Cup opener in good spirits at least, even if mindful of the huge task ahead of them. It wasn't easy at Bridgend on Saturday, that's for sure, and there was to be no repeat of last season's victory cruise.

It looked a bit like it at half-time when Newport appeared comfortable at 17-6 ahead, the pack establishing some control and half backs Ofisa Tonu'u and Shane Howarth working well behind.

Tonu'u, for me, was Newport's man-of-the-match in only his second appearance for the club after his late arrival in the wake of the van der Westhuizen affair.

A chunky, robust and neat player, as befits a former All Black, he fits well into Newport's new style, complementing the forwards and getting the ball away with an often booming pass, as well as kicking over the top well.

But it didn't all go smoothly, far from it, as Newport struggled in the line-out, not for the first time. Surely one answer here is to draft Joe Powell into the back row.

There were far too many turnovers as well, too many penalties given away as the offside line was frequently breached, and the defence was broken alarmingly in the second half, especially by Bridgend wing Gareth Jones.

But even if there were a few scares Newport always had sufficient control to claim the spoils, though Bridgend will point to a huge injury list that denied them players.

Though Adrian Durston kicked an early penalty, Newport soon established their credentials when Andy Marinos swooped on a poor pass, skipper Simon Raiwalui drove on and Jonathan Pritchard dashed over to set the massed Newport support on the far bank roaring.

Howarth converted and slotted a penalty, Durston kicking one in between before the lively Jason Forster nabbed another when Tonu'u passed flat to Pritchard, and the ball travelled via Jamie Richards and Rod Snow to Forster who crashed over.

But Bridgend came out fired up and within eight minutes had turned around that 17-6 deficit to lead 19-17.

Durston landed two quick penalties as Newport transgressed and then Newport twice lost line-out possession, Jones sliced through and Gareth Thomas raced 40 yards for the try which Durston converted.

But Newport settled again, Howarth kicked his third penalty and Raiwalui romped over for a try after a Tonu'u pass and a Forster break.

Bridgend battled back again and after another searing Jones burst flanker Jamie Ringer accepted a flat pass from skipper Huw Harris for a try Durston converted. That narrowed the gap to 27-26 to set up a nervy last ten minutes.

Howarth calmed those nerves with another penalty, and deep into injury time with Bridgend pressing hard Marinos hoofed the ball upfield, Bridgend were caught and Matt Mostyn arrowed on to the ball and over the line for his first try of the season, and one of his most valuable.

Howarth appeared to have landed the conversion, but the touch judges thought otherwise, though Newport had made it to a notable away double.

*PICTURED: Matt Mostyn grounds the ball to give Newport victory.