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Newbridge made it five wins from their first six games since winning promotion to the WRU National Championship East – sending Bedwas tumbling down the table.

Two quickfire Newbridge tries around the hour-mark took the game away from a plucky Bedwas side at the Bridgefield – coming away with a 36-23 win.

The sides cancelled each other out in the opening ten minutes before a James Dixon penalty from the halfway line gave Bedwas a 3-0 lead.

Newbridge responded ten minutes later through a Sam Watkins penalty to level the scores.

After 30 minutes, Newbridge were awarded a penalty try to when Bedwas were deemed guilty of collapsing a scrum. However, no yellow cards were issued.

The hosts responded when Hamish Anderson grabbed his first try of the season, which was converted by Dixon to put the sides level at the interval.

It was a strong start to the second half for Bedwas, who took the lead through a 45th minute Dixon penalty.

Another Dixon penalty ten minutes later sent the hosts 16-10 ahead.

But the visitors retook the lead in the 62nd minute when they were awarded another penalty try for offside, with Hamish Anderson sent to the sin bin as a result.

A point ahead and a man up, Newbridge extended their lead just two minutes later when Stuart Vokes bulldozed over for a try. Watkins was unsuccessful with the conversion, but Newbridge now led 22-16.

The visitors continued to build on the lead, scoring two more quickfire tries in the 70th and 72nd minutes respectively, with Watkins converting both to send his side 36-16 ahead – with a four-try bonus-point secured.

Replacement scrum-half Jak Robbins squeezed under for a consolation try, which was converted by Dixon, but it wasn’t enough to stop Bedwas dropping to 11th in the table, above only Treorchy.

Incidentally, Bedwas travel to Treorchy in their next match on Saturday November 18, while Newbridge host title-chasing Bargoed.

Match report by Ian Lovell of Bedwas RFC