WITH a bit more composure Newport would have been celebrating becoming the first side to inflict a Premiership defeat on Carmarthen Quins this season.

Instead the eighth-placed Black and Ambers failed to back up their success against Bridgend so rather than ambitiously looking upwards they are still nervously looking down.

Newport led for most of the game but failed to build on a super start and were hindered by kicking errors, lineout mistakes, poor restart work and some muddled thinking with ball in hand.

But even after fly-half Craig Evans had booted the Quins into a 23-21 lead with 13 minutes left the hosts could, and perhaps should, have taken the spoils.

They moved inside the visitors' 22 with the last play thanks to a super attack but failed to show the necessary patience to slow things down and set up a drop goal.

There was plenty to be admired about their performance – the pack was superb and their defence was spirited – but head coach Sven Cronk was left to rue too many sloppy spells by his charges.

"We didn't do enough with the ball to win it," he said. "We defended well but just didn't hold on to the ball. The boys opened up really well but then we switched off in attack."

Newport led 18-13 at the break but would have had a more convincing lead if they had built on a tremendous Dom Franchi-inspired start.

An overlap was exploited for the inside centre to go over down the left, with Geraint O'Driscoll converting, and then his marvellous break saw wing Elliot Frewen cross in the same corner.

The Black and Ambers' midfield of Ashley Smith and Tyler Morgan had impressed in their much-needed win against the Ravens but the former was on Dragons duty and the latter was with Wales Under-18s.

Their replacements Franchi and Dan Robinson certainly rose the occasion in the opening exchanges but at 12-0 Newport then got sloppy.

Their errors allowed the visitors to inch ahead thanks to a Craig Evans penalty, centre Dylan Morgans' chip and chase try and another five-pointer by Iolo Evans from a smart Craig Evans cross-kick.

O'Driscoll got Newport back on track with a pair of penalties before half-time and another quickly after the resumption put them in a great position to secure four points.

The Black and Ambers pack was on top, especially in the scrum where Quins and Scarlets loosehead Rob Evans didn't exactly show why he has been training with Wales this autumn.

But once again they failed to keep posing questions of their visitors' defence and the Quins gradually worked their way back into the game.

Another cross-kick by Craig Evans found Newport wing Ashton Hewitt out of position and Iolo Evans gathered and turned provider for full-back Howard Thomas.

The visiting 10 converted and then slotted over the winner when Newport tried running from inside their own half and became isolated.

The Black and Ambers should have beaten the title hopefuls and as a result they really need to beat bottom club Neath at the Gnoll on Friday to stretch away from the cellar dwellers.

Newport: G O'Driscoll, A Hewitt, D Robinson, D Franchi, E Frewen, E Davies, J Leadbeater, D Pattison (J Greenfield 70), J Jeune (D Rogers 74), G Robinson (N Williams 79), D Rosser (J Sullivan 70), A Frampton, S Waldron (R Jenkins 70), C Attwell, L Beach (captain).

Scorers: tries – D Franchi, E Frewen; conversion – G O'Driscoll; penalties – G O'Driscoll (3)

Carmarthen Quins: H Thomas, I Evans, D Morgans, R Williams (captain), P Rushesha, C Evans, C Lloyd (E Phillips 51), R Evans (R Guest 64), R Clancy, J Sebastian (G Thomas 64), C Jones, H Pugh, W Boyde, E Lloyd, R Gallagher (L Joseph 70).

Scorers: tries – D Morgans, I Evans, H Thomas; conversion – C Evans; penalties – C Evans (2)

Referee: Daniel Jones (WRU)

Argus star man: Craig Attwell