Newport scored one of their best and most satisfying wins of the season when they beat Aberavon 15-7 at the Talbot Athletic Ground to reach the Konica-Minolta Cup quarter-finals. It was Aberavon's first home defeat in over a year and was greeted with delight by the Newport players and supporters. Newport had lost their last 3 matches at Aberavon including a 39-7 league drubbing earlier in the season and last season?s 5th round 18-17 defeat when they were among the cup favourites.

Newport took the initiative from the start and completely dominated the opening 40 minutes to lead 15-0 at HT before comfortably holding on in the 2nd half. Aberavon?s only score was a 49th-minute try when Newport were down to 13 men by yellow cards for wing Richard Fussell for a deliberate knock-on just before half-time and for centre James Rowles four minutes into the 2nd half. However any hopes of an Aberavon comeback were ended when their hooker and captain Christian Wells was sent off for raking by referee Huw Watkins.

This was an excellent display by Newport, especially in the first half and the return from injury of experienced lock Matt Veater helped Newport dominate Aberavon in the lineouts. Veater and Mark Workman helped to take five against the throw for a 15-4 first-half advantage and Newport also made yards from rolling mauls. A driving maul from a line-out led to Newport?s 2nd-minute try with the ball being released for outside-half Dan Griffiths to send centre Richard Payne over for a try converted by Griffiths.

Nine minutes later Aberavon prop Anthony Edwards was yellow-carded for pulling down a maul and after the penalty to touch Veater won the lineout for flanker Paul Williams to burrow over. Griffiths added a 25th-minute penalty but the 15-0 half-time advantage could have been more. A last-ditch ankle tap denied speedy wing Richard Fussell while fullback Ricky Williams just failed to gather on the Aberavon 22 and Sam Waldron just failed to get over in the corner after full back Liam Gadd's kick had been charged down and won by wing Will Kershaw-Naylor.

Aberavon hit back against 14 and 13 men after the restart and lock Paul Morgan grabbed a try which outside-half Jamie Davies converted off the post. But with Wells' dismissal the game was effectively over and Newport defended magnificently not least of all centre James Rowles standing in for injured captain Rhys Shorney who made some outstanding tackles. Newport even had two ?tries? disallowed and a Dan Griffiths penalty rebounding from an upright. Flanker Sam Waldron also stood out with his all out work but the whole team worked tirelessly.