The Wizards had set the pace throughout the first-half of the season, but two unanswered home tries were enough to earn the Steelmen a much needed victory after their opening round defeat to Bedwas.
Steff Williams gave the visitors an early lead with the first of his two penalties, but two yellow cards to David Griggs and Chris Davies put pressure on them. Ebbw Vale took a 7-3 lead into the second half thanks to a trademark Ronny Kynes catch and drive try which Dai Langdon improved.
Williams cut the gap to a point with his second penalty, but Nathan Preece crossed in the 66th minute for the crucial try that Langdon once again converted. That earned the champions the points to keep them alive in the race for the play-offs.
Neath moved to the top of Tier 2 in the Principality Premiership with a 37-15 win over Llanelli at Parc y Scarlets as they won for the second time on the road.
Aaron Grabham got the visitors off to a bright start with a 75 mere interception try, but a driving line-out try from Trystan Lloyd, converted by Billy McBryde, pushed Llanelli ahead. Grabham then paved the way or a wing for fellow wing Alec Jenkins.
McBryde and Ed Howley swapped penalties to make it 13-10 to the visitors at the break, but the second half belonged to Gareth Llewellyn’s men.
Howley crossed for a try which he also converted, but Dion Jones crossed for a second Llanelli try to keep them in contention. Leon Ward bagged a pushover try from a dominant Neath scrum to bag the bonus-point, which Dan Guarneri converted, and then the replacement outside half added a penalty.
The game finished with a second score from Howley and Guarneri added the extras to complete the scoring. Neath now have a run of three successive home fixtures against Newport, Cross Keys and Bargoed.
Second placed Cross Keys picked up a second successive home win with a 16-13 victory over Bridgend. The Ravens scored all their points in the first-half as Joe Scrivens kicked two penalties and converted Matthew John’s try.
Keys had two penalties from the boot of Josh Prosser to help them stay in contention and then levelled the scores 10 minutes into the second half when Ieuan Jones crashed over for a try which Prosser improved. Prosser then edged his side ahead with a 73rd minute penalty to take the spoils.
Swansea staged a major fightback at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park to complete the double over Cardiff with a 34-33 win. Despite scoring three tries in the first quarter the home side fell to their second successive defeat on their own patch in Tier 2.
Jordan Viggers, Harri Millard and Will Rees Hole scored the tries and Joe Thompson converted all three. Thompson also kicked a penalty to leave Swansea with a mountain to climb at 24-0 down. But climb it they did as they turned their disastrous start into an epic comeback.
A try by Jed Evans got them on the scoreboard and then Jack Perkins drove over from close range. Thompson added a second penalty just before half time to allow Cardiff to go into the break still very much in control at 27-12 ahead, but the second half was a different story. Instead of powering on to win the bonus point with a fourth try, the only points the home side could muster were another two penalties from Thompson’s boot.
Swansea completed their fightback with further tries from prop Tom Sloane, Jon Fox and Jon Bayliss. Outside half Jac Wilson converted two of them and then coolly landed a 73rd minute penalty to edge his side in front.
