NEWPORT Gwent Dragons maintained their unbeaten home record with a cracking LV Cup victory over Sale last night.

They led throughout and scored two tries to nil for a deserved win which will give them every confidence going into next Saturday’s tough tie at Leicester.

Full back Martyn Thomas gave an assured performance while the defence was again outstanding.

And with a decent lead the Dragons ended up with a number of youngsters on the pitch, one of whom, Adam Greendale, made a decisive break and kicked a penalty and conversion.

The Dragons began in sensational style when captain-for-the-night Shaun Connor gratefully accepted line-out possession off the top from Hoani MacDonald on the Sale 22, sold a big dummy and careered on to the line where he just got the ball down, though the referee consulted the TMO before awarding the try.

Connor added the easy conversion, but ex-England outside half Charlie Hodgson rapidly replied with a penalty for offside after a charging run by fellow former England back Ben Cohen.

Connor missed a penalty shot after he had been late tackled, then wing Richard Fussell just failed to gather a Martyn Thomas kick to the corner with the line open in front of him.

Hodgson’s second penalty narrowed the gap to a point and the Dragons’ cause wasn’t helped by some erratic back play.

Then Connor kicked the ball dead after the Dragons had been munched at a scrum, but the outside half made amends with a raking touchfinder before more faulty back play let them down.

Matthew Watkins finally promised more from the faltering back line with a jagged run which had Sale in trouble, but Nick Macleod, the former Cardiff Blues player, cleared.

The match took a dramatic turn just before half-time when Dragons hooker Duane Goodfield was yellow carded for a spear tackle on Hodgson which looked borderline, but justice of sorts was done when Hodgson missed the straight penalty attempt.

Connor gave 14-man Dragons some breathing space when he kicked a penalty four minutes into the second half, the signal for Sale to send on another England back in Matthew Tait.

The gap was reduced to a point again when Hodgson nailed his third penalty, the Dragons promptly changing both props and replacing Connor with Adam Greendale.

And the debut maker had an immediate impact, breaking neatly on the inside to set up a position from where scrum half Danny Lee picked up and sniped over for a try which Greendale converted.

Wales scrum half Dwayne Peel went on with 15 minutes left, but the Dragons had their tails up and when Sale sub Koyambaibole was yellow carded for going in from the wrong side Greendale kicked the penalty to wrap up a notable victory.

Sale piled on late pressure but for the second week running the Dragons defence was impregnable.

Newport Gwent Dragons: M Thomas (M Pewtner 72), W Harries, R Davies, M Watkins, R Fussell, S Connor, captain, (A Greendale 63)), D Lee (A Walker 74), D Watchurst (H Gustafson 59), D Goodfield, P Palmer (P Bracken 59), R Sidoli, A Jones, H MacDonald, G Webb (J Thomas 77) J Harris (A Brown 41-47, T Faletau 65).

Scorers - tries: S Connor, D Lee; conversions: Connor, A Greendale; penalties: Connor, Greendale.

Sale: N Macleod, B Cohen D Bishop (M Tait 47), L Thomas, M Vakacegu, C Hodgson, R Wigglesworth (D Peel 64), E Roberts, M Schwalger (N Briggs 40), J Forster (M Halsall 58), D Schofield (captain), S Cox, J Gaskell (S Koyamaibole 51), C Fearns, L Abraham.

Scorers - penalties: C Hodgson (3).

Referee: Martin Fox (England).

Attendance: 4,539