NEWPORT Gwent Dragons defied all the odds with a magnificent performance against the star-studded Ospreys team at the Liberty Stadium last night.

Though they had Richard Parks and Luke Charteris yellow carded and lost Rhodri Davies with a serious looking neck injury, recovering well later, the Dragons were at their most defiant.

The whole team defended heroically while 18-year-old Jason Tovey was assured on his debut and for all their pressure the Ospreys couldn't score a try until nine minutes from the end, and even then there was a blatant forward pass in the move.

The Dragons drafted in Wales Under-20 cap Tovey as a late replacement for Ceri Sweeney, who failed to recover from a rib injury he suffered against Connacht.

The Dragons comfortably held an early Ospreys thrust and even took the lead with their first foray into the home 22 after six minutes. Luke Charteris won a line-out and when the Dragons moved it the Ospreys were caught offside almost in front and Tovey calmly stroked the ball, left footed, between the uprights.

The Ospreys were level four minutes later when James Hook kicked an easy penalty after the Dragons were caught offside, though the referee missed a similar offence by the home side.

But the Dragons attacked promisingly again and from a scrum Tovey put the ball deep into the Ospreys 22 with a neat kick. Justin Marshall cleared, but Rhys Thomas drove them back with a strong burst and Tovey struck an upright with a dropped goal attempt.

Hook missed successive penalty shots as the Ospreys resorted to kicks, unable to break through for a try against some terrific defence.

In fact, it was the Dragons who attacked when Joe Bearman shrugged off a blow to the back to break through well and handed on to Rhodri Davies who made further inroads only to give out a forward pass.

The Ospreys lost Shane Williams with a thigh injury but almost immediately the Dragons were down to 14 men when Richard Parks was yellow carded for tackling Marty Holah without the ball.

Colin Charvis brought off a great tackle on Jonny Vaughton a yard from the line and Bearman needed running repairs as the Dragons' heroic effort continued.

Successive scrums erupted and the referee penalised the seven-man Dragons pack, Hook finding the target to finally edge the Ospreys in front for the first time just before the interval, a situation the Dragons would undoubtedly have settled for prior to the game.

Charvis' tackling held the Ospreys at bay at the start of the second half and when Andrew Bishop slid over after a fine move his leg hit the corner flag and the TMO ruled a try out. Then Bearman pulled off a brilliant cover tackle on Vaughton a yard out.

Just as Byrne was racing over the line play had to be stopped for a serious injury to Dragons centre Rhodri Davies when he fell badly tackling Tiatia.

Doctors and medical staff rushed on to the pitch to aid the motionless Davies who was carefully lifted on to a stretcher and led from the field.

The game was held up for 12 minutes during which time Bearman was replaced by Michael Owen, Pil Dollman taking over from the stricken Davies.

The Ospreys' pressure became relentless, though it took another kick, a dropped goal by Marshall, to stretch their lead.

The Dragons were hit further when Charteris became their second player to be yellow carded, for obstruction on Hook.

The Ospreys, able to bring on experienced internationals in Duncan Jones and Jonathan Thomas, still couldn't score a try. Amazingly, it was the Dragons who looked dangerous when Tovey drifted through and Charvis drove on only to fail to get the ball away.

The Ospreys finally broke their try duck with nine minutes left when Aled Brew sidestepped over, but Hook's pass was at least a yard forward. Hook converted.

At the final whistle a furious Dragons coach Paul Turner had to be restrained from getting to the referee.

Ospreys: L Byrne, J Vaughton, S Parker, A Bishop, S Williams (A Brew 30), J Hook, J Marshall, P James (D Jones 52), R Hibbard (H Bennett 52), A Jones (P James 76), I Gough (I Evans 56), A W Jones, F Tiatia (J Thomas 56), R Jones (captain), M Holah.

Scorers -- try: A Brew; conversion: J Hook; penalties: Hook (2); dropped goal: J Marshall.

Newport Gwent Dragons: K Morgan, G Wyatt, P Emerick, R Davies (P Dollman 47), R Mustoe, J Tovey, A Williams (W Evans 53), A Black (L Harrison 65), B Daly (S Jones 65), R Thomas, A Hall (L Evans 67), L Charteris, C Charvis (captain), J Bearman (M Owen 47), R Parks.

Scorers -- penalty: J Tovey .

Referee: Mr T Hayes (WRU).

Attendance: 9,166.