IF Ebbw Vale are relegated from the Welsh Premier Division at the end of the season skipper Kristian Owen will rue probably the biggest gaffe of his playing career on Saturday.

Deep into seven minutes of second-half injury time at Rodney Parade he had the opportunity to set up a tremendous against-the-odds win for his side.

It would have given them a six-point cushion to bottom club Maesteg and maintained a four-point cushion to one-from-bottom Pontypool, and might have ensured Premiership safety.

But with just Newport full back Ricky Williams to beat and left wing Andrew Bevan outside him awaiting the try-scoring pass, Owen cut inside on the Newport 22 to be collared and the chance was lost.

Right wing Simon Hunt had launched what should have been the match-winning score with a superb chip and regather just outside his own 22 before sending Owen away.

Ironically it followed a knock-on only moments earlier that denied what might have been a match-clinching try for Newport.

My belief is that on this gutsy performance and their previous three wins and a draw in five games, Vale will survive in the Premiership, with their home game against fellow strugglers Llandovery on May 5 perhaps crucial.

They could so easily have fallen apart on Saturday after trailing 22-7 after 44 minutes, but never let their heads drop, and hit back strongly.

After twice being held up over the Newport line, their pressure enabled Bevan to score a 57th-minute try in the left corner, scrum-half Shelbourne converting superbly.

And 12 minutes later after a scrum near the Newport line, Shelbourne drove over for another converted try.

Thereafter Newport kept play in the Vale half and should have secured victory before Owen's error, once denied on the Vale line and then by a knock-on with a 3-1 advantage.

Flanker John Bowd gave Vale a 13th-minute lead after they drove a lineout to the Newport line, Shelbourne converting, two minutes after Newport flanker Sam Waldron was yellow-carded.

But while he was off Newport number eight Richard Dale grabbed two tries, one converted by outside-half Daniel Griffiths, the first after a lineout was driven 20 metres, and the second following superb control through several phases.

On Waldron's return and following Vale prop Lyn Williams being yellow-carded, Griffiths kicked a penalty to put Newport, on top at this stage, 15-7 ahead.

But they failed to capitalise further, and though an early second-half try by skipper Rhys Shorney, created by fellow centre Richard Payne's burst and pop-up pass, seemed to ensure a comfortable win, they reckoned without the fighting instincts of their rivals.

Newport: R Williams, W Kershaw-Naylor, R Payne, R Shorney, R Fussell, D Griffiths, A Walker (M Thomas 73), D Pattison, L Jones (R James 58), I Evans, M Workman, M Veater, S Waldron, C Davies, R Dale (M Popham 66). Scorers: tries - Dale (2), Shorney; conversions - Griffiths (2); penalty - Griffiths.

Ebbw Vale: A McLaughlan (A Whiteman 80), S Hunt, K Owen, M Griffiths (D Phillips 40), A Bevan, J Hawker, B Shelbourne, J Cross (R Morgan 70), M Williams (D Williams 80), L Williams (B Fisher 40), M Griffin (G Jones 63), N Edwards, J Bowd, J Lydiate (Bowen 45), C Cleaver. Scorers: tries - Bowd, Bevan, Shelbourne; conversions - Shelbourne (3).