NEWPORT went to the top of the Welsh/Scottish League table with a cracking victory over Swansea at Rodney Parade last night.

They are now joint leaders with Glasgow and have now beaten the Welsh champions, French champions and English cup in their last three games.

Newport made a super-charged start, piling on heavy pressure, with skipper Simon Raiwalui, prop Rod Snow and number eight Andrew Powell all going close.

Shane Howarth twice spurned penalty chances, opting to go for touch instead and Newport kept the temperature red hot. Howarth put Newport ahead with a penalty at the third time of asking, but the lead lasted just four minutes as Arwel Thomas replied with a penalty for Swansea.

But the home side maintained their momentum and when Swansea failed to hold onto a Ofisa Tonu'u kick, flanker Jason Forster pounced and Swansea were once again hard pressed to hold out.

Newport's pressure told when Howarth dropped a smart goal to restore their three point advantage after 20 minutes. When Swansea did counter-attack, Powell brought off a stunning tackle on Shaun Payne, but when Newport failed to retreat, Thomas put Swansea level again with his second penalty.

Newport returned to the attack, but wasted another opportunity when Tonu'u elected to go blind where flanker Peter Buxton knocked on instead of exploiting the chance.

But Newport restored their lead after 29 minutes and Howarth rewarded excellent work by Forster when he landed his second penalty.

Watkins almost made it with a darting run after Tonu'u had made the hard yards, but Swansea were offside and Howarth obliged with another penalty to put his side 12-6 ahead.

And in first half injury time Newport scored a cracking try when Howarth passed inside to Matthew Watkins who immediately strode through a huge gap and passed outside to Matt Pini who raced over, but Howarth missed the conversion.

Swansea were first out of the blocks at he start of the second half when Thomas landed a 45 yard penalty, he missed a second shot, but landed another after 10 minutes to narrow the gap to five points.

Swansea bought on Welsh forwards Andy Moore and Colin Charvis to bolster their effort and Howarth missed a long range shot at goal for Newport.

Swansea were looking increasingly dangerous and Newport were enjoying nothing like their first-half supremacy. They struggled to win their own line-out ball and Thomas was punishing them by kicking long to the corners.

But just as in the game against Toulouse, Newport staged a grandstand finish, sparked by the introduction of Wales lock Ian Gough, making his first senior start of the season.

Newport mounted furious pressure on the Swansea line, Forster and Raiwalui both went close before Tonu'u went just inches short.

But Newport were rewarded with three minutes left when Howarth kicked a crucial penalty.

Swansea were not finished and deep into injury time, Scott Gibbs kicked ahead and won the chase for the touchdown. Thomas converted and there was just one point in it.

But there was still life in Newport who came again and deep in injury time, find-of-the-season Powell picked up from the base of the scrum and shot over for the deciding try to seal a much deserved win.

Newport: Pini, Mostyn, Marinos, Pritchard, M. Watkins, Howarth, Tonu'u, Snow, Richards, Anthony, Raiwalui, Voyle, Buxton, Forster. Tries: Pini, A. Powell. Pens: Howarth 4.Drop Goals: Howarth. Swansea: Henson, Robinson, Payne, Gibbs, Lima, A. Thomas, Martens, Morris, Wells, Evans, Griffiths, Maullin, D. Thomas, Lewis, H. Jenkins. Tries: Gibbs. Cons: A. Thomas. Pens: A. Thomas 4 Att: 7,592 Referee: Paul Adams (Welsh RFU)