THE aim now is for Newport to end the season with three straight wins and break into the Welsh premiership's top six.

And if the Black and Ambers can repeat their hard-working 17-10 win at Stradey Park there is no reason why they will not be able to overcome Bedwas (at home) and Llandovery away in their remaining fixtures.

Rodney Parade has been a far from happy place at times this season, not least the Konica Minolta Cup quarter-final defeat at home to Glamorgan Wanderers, but doing the double over Llanelli is some sort of worthy consolation.

And Newport's forwards coach Sven Cronk was delighted with the two-tries- to-one victory, especially as his side had to play into the teeth of a strong easterly wind on Saturday.

"It's a happy dressing- room. It's all about winning but it wasn't pretty by any means,'' admitted Cronk.

"We kept at it. A lot of work went into the win, especially in the second half when it was difficult carrying into that wind.

"People have to realise how difficult it is to play in those conditions.

"We are out of the cup but we want to keep the focus until the end of the season and finish as high as we can.'' After Llanelli spent the opening minutes keeping the game as tight as they could after playing into the elements in the opening period, Newport enjoyed almost complete territorial advantage from then in.

Going through the phases efficiently, the Black and Ambers stretched the home defence to the extent where Richard Fussell was sent in down the right, although that was the wing's last contribution as he came off with an arm injury.

Fellow wing Mike Poole went some way to clinch the clash with a try in the fourth minute of injury time - a crucial score which saw Newport lead 14-3 at the interval.

Llanelli were always going to respond with the wind behind after the break but they only managed the one try from wing Ifan Evans on 59 minutes. After that a streetwise effort from Newport meant they were able to shut the home side out in the final quarter.

Llanelli: A Banfield (S Mills 69); I Evans, R Thomas, D Simpson, M Jacob; D Evans, L Williams; S Hopkins (I Jones 69), C Hawkins (capt), S Gardner (P Edwards 13), K Davies, D Day, L Jones, A Powell, R McCusker.

Scorers - Tries: I Evans; pen: D Evans; con: D Evans.

Newport: M Burke; R Fussell (W Kershaw-Naylor 34), N Williams, S Williams, M Poole (D Griffiths 61); M Hook, A Walker (M Thomas 80); D Pattison (capt), A Brown, S McGuire (I Evans 75), M Veater, A Frampton (M Workman h-t), R Dale, L Evans (R Field 80), C Hill.

Scorers - Tries: R Fussell, M Poole; cons - M Hook (2); pen - M Hook.

Referee: Matthew Aplin (WRU)