NEWPORT scored their most satisfying win of the season to reach the Konica-Minolta Cup quarter-finals at Aberavon on Saturday.

Aberavon's first home loss in over a year was greeted with delight by the Newport players, not only because it avenged a 39-7 league drubbing at the Talbot Athletic Ground earlier this season, but because it erased their bitterest memory of last season.

Then they missed opportunities and were defeated 18-17 at the same fifth-round stage when among the cup favourites, and it left a bitter taste.

But that was all forgotten on Saturday as they grabbed the initiative from the start and completely dominated the opening 40 minutes to lead 15-0 at half-time before comfortably holding on in the second.

Aberavon's 49th-minute try was scored with Newport reduced to 13 men by yellow cards handed to wing Richard Fussell for a deliberate knock-on a minute before the interval, and to centre James Rowles four minutes into the second half.

But any Aberavon thoughts of a comeback disappeared from the restart when hooker and skipper Christian Wells was sent off for raking right in front of referee Huw Watkins.

It really was a professional display by Newport, particularly in that opening half, the return from injury of lock Matthew Veater and scrum- half Alex Walker vital factors.

Newport decimated Aberavon in the lineouts, taking five against the throw for a 15-4 first-half advantage when they also made acres of ground through the rolling maul.

A lineout win and driven maul led to their second-minute try, the ball eventually released for outside-half Dan Griffithsto send centre Richard Payne over via a short pass for a try Griffiths converted.

Nine minutes later Aberavon prop Anthony Edwards was yellow-carded for dragging down a maul and after the penalty to touch Veater won the lineout for flanker Paul Williams to burrow over.

Griffiths added a 25th-minute penalty but the 15-0 half-time advantage should have been more, a last-ditch ankle tap denying wing Richard Fussell, full back Ricky Williams just failing to gather on the Aberavon 22 and Sam Waldron just lacking the speed to get to the corner after home full back Liam Gadd's kick had been charged, won inside the 22 by Will Kershaw-Naylor.

Aberavon inevitably hit back against 14 and 13 after the restart and lock Paul Morgan grabbed a try which outside-half Jamie Davies converted.

But with Wells' dismissal the game was over and Newport defended superbly to deny the Wizards even the sniff of another score, and were also twice brought back after crossing the Aberavon line as time ran out on a desperate home side.

In a very disciplined Newport display flanker Waldron stood out with his all-action, all-round work while keeping his sometimes over-aggressive instincts in check.

But the whole team worked tirelessly, to suggest that if Newport escape too many more injuries and Dragons calls, they can climb the Premier Division table and maybe fulfil coach David Rees' long-time ambition of reaching the Millennium Stadium cup final.

Aberavon: L Gadd, R Carter, P Bamsey, David Hawkins (D Ryan 53min), D Griffiths, J Davies, Daniel Hawkins (R Morgan 58min), L Howell (M Harris 40min), C Wells (C Richards 54min), A Edwards, A Fisher, P Morgan, I Moore, S Peters (D Thomas 40min), R Morris. Scorers: Try - P Morgan; conversion - J Davies.

Newport: R Williams, W Kershaw-Naylor, J Rowles, M Payne, R Fussell, D Griffiths, A Walker, D Pattison (I Evans 67min), L Jones (R James 44min), G Robinson, M Workman, M Veater, S Waldron, P Williams (C Davies 74min), R Jones. Scorers: Tries: Payne, P Williams; conversion: Griffiths; penalty: Griffiths.