Scarlets score bonus-point win over Dragons

Llanelli 35 Newport-Gwent 26

An injury-time try from Wales international Dafydd Jones sealed Llanelli a crucial bonus-victory in an incident-packed Celtic League encounter at Stradey Park.

The outstanding number eight ploughed over in the 83rd minute to clinch five vital points in the Scarlets’ quest for Heineken Cup qualification.

It was Jones’ second try of a feisty encounter which saw four players yellow carded, two from each side.

The Dragons, who led until the 78th minute, were denied their bonus point by the conversion of Jones’ score.

The visitors had made an impressive start with left wing Kevin Morgan latching onto a sweet inside pass to score after just three minutes.

Fly-half Ceri Sweeney converted and should have been lining up another kick minutes later, but the fly-half spilled a pass with the line and five points beckoning.

The Dragons, with a strong wind at their backs, had dominated the opening exchanges, but Sweeney then threw a speculative mispass which Scarlets centre Matthew Watkins gratefully intercepted to race 70 yards unchallenged to the posts.

It sparked a remarkable turnaround which saw the home side cross for their second try in the space of three minutes.

A superb break by full-back Garan Evans set up the Scarlets’ attack and from a close-range line-out move Wales international Dafydd Jones drove over from short range.

After spending almost all of the first quarter in defensive mode, suddenly the Scarlets were 14-7 to the good, although Sweeney did make some amends with a short-range penalty success.

The deficit was reduced to a point when Sweeney punished another home infringement, but the Dragons were then down to 14 men after half an hour when flanker Ian Gough was yellow carded for a high challenge on Tongan centre Salesi Finau.

The Scarlets took almost immediate advantage with Watkins claiming his second try thanks to an inch-perfect kick through from Bowen.

Finau then turned from victim to villain when his swinging arm caught flanker Jamie Ringer and he was duly dispatched to the sin-bin alongside Gough.

Sweeney’s third penalty made it 19-16, but a drop-goal from Bowen right on half-time ensured the home side went in at the break in apparent control.

Bowen made it 25-16 with a penalty nine minutes after the restart before Sweeney responded soon after.

The Scarlets then found themselves one man short again when skipper Simon Easterby was sin-binned for ball-killing at a ruck and from the resultant scrum Dragons number eight Michael Owen showed all his strength to drive over with Sweeney’s conversion snatching back the lead.

In a dramatic finale, Dragons had influential centre Sione Tuipulotu yellow carded for a similar offence to Easterby with Bowen slotting the close-range penalty to swing the game back in Llanelli’s favour.

Then came Jones’s match-winning score from a close-range scrum, with Bowen landing the conversion to the delight of the home faithful.