Newport.....13 Neath.....8

AT last, at last - after 24 long years Newport's name is on the Welsh Cup trophy again.

Newport achieved what Welsh/Scottish League winners Swansea failed to do by getting the better of Neath 13-8 in a gripping final at the Millennium Stadium yesterday.

There were never more than seven points in it, and the finale was unbearably tense as Neath tried to claw their way back.

But somehow it was meant to be as Newport gave their inspirational captain Gary Teichmann the perfect send-off.

His South African cup final ended in failure, but the last leg of his golden career ended in triumph.

This time he got to lift the Principality Cup, and for the first time teammates actually managed to lift this most self-effacing of captains on to their shoulders in triumph.

And how the fans loved it, as thousands of them hailed Teichmann and the rest of the team as they performed their lap of honour.

It had been an heroic effort, and it proved again that rugby is now a 22-man game.

For Newport had to overcome a whole series of misfortunes on the injury front.

They lost strike pair Matt Mostyn and Andy Marinos with head and calf muscle injuries after 34 and 51 minutes, respectively, and Ian Gough also departed with a damaged shoulder 14 minutes from the end.

Newport had three different players occupying the right wing position, Mostyn, Dale Burn and Scott Mitchell, but it made no difference to the effort.

Newport were clearly determined to wrest the initiative from Neath up front and prevent them dictating in the way they did against Swansea in the semi-final.

That was a major part of the game plan, based on a rock solid platform via the front five aiming to deny Neath possession and to compete in every phase.

Neath were unable to achieve superiority, either physical or mental, while Brett Sinkinson could not get near Shane Howarth, though that was in part down to the efforts of Jason Forster.

That might have been a major area of concern, but Howarth proved that bravery is his biggest attribute as he shrugged off his shoulder injury and put in a whole series of tackles.

His kicking game was also significant as it forced the Neath's cover to turn.

Half back partner Dale Burn was a livewire, too, causing Neath any amount of problems as he gave a non-stop performance. He even relished his duel with danger man Shane Williams when forced to switch to the wing.

And when Williams did escape Newport clutches Teichmann just got to him before the winger ran into Rod Snow, which was a mistake if ever there was one.

Teichmann, clearly determined to deliver the cup in his farewell appearance, was his usual imposing self as he put in one final effort. It was the pack which earned Newport their try as Ian Gough won a line-out, and they drove on for prop Adrian Garvey to crash over for the touchdown.

Neath replied with 10 minutes left when James Storey, later voted player-of-the-match, broke through and though hauled down by Burn got the ball away where Howarth failed to clear and Neath wing Kevin James was up to grab the touchdown.

That set up a nerve-tingling finale, but Howarth settled it with a now-trademark dropped goal, having earlier landed a penalty and converted Garvey's try.

Williams had put Neath ahead with a penalty, but that was the only time they led, though they claimed they had two legitimate tries disallowed.

The first came when referee Clayton Thomas ruled out an effort by James, who was tackled into the corner flag by Peter Buxton, and another by Williams when Thomas decided Howarth got back in time to deny him. But Howarth was also the victim of a high tackle by James which earned him a yellow card, though Newport failed to take advantage, and the penalty count against Newport was in the ratio of three to one.

So the grievances were pretty even, though to be fair Neath coach Lyn Jones refused to make a song and dance about it.

Newport director of rugby Allan Lewis, who has had to endure a fair amount of pressure, was delighted, and rightly so.

But for chief executive Tony Brown, who has ploughed so much into the club, victory really was the true reward. It was smiles all round as Newport at long last got the silverware a club of their stature should have in their trophy cabinet.