Winger Oli Andrew scored twice for Newport in the first half, while Dragons’ wing Ashton Hewitt – on the comeback trail after injury – marked his first Newport appearance since September 2016 with a try.
Henry Palmer and skipper Ben Roach also crashed over for the Black & Ambers – who sit fourth in the table and six points back on Cardiff. Matt O’Brien converted three of their six tries.
Aberavon scored four tries of their own to bag two bonus points, with flanker Gwilym Evans scoring twice while lock Lewis Marsh and a penalty try were also on the scoresheet. Ed Dunford added two conversions and two penalties.
“It was a very entertaining game to watch I think for the spectators,” said Newport head coach Ty Morris. “Both teams went out to play and express themselves.
“Aberavon is a tough place to go and get a result. There were a couple of defensive errors from us that we’ll need to clean up but, in general, we’re really pleased with getting the ‘W’ down there.”
The win also gives Newport a 15-point cushion over fifth place as they bid to cement a home play-off.
“That’s our objective. There will be a bit of rotation around the squad now in the next few games and giving everyone an opportunity in the cup games – so that we’re picking our best team for those play-off games at the end of the season,” added Morris.
Meanwhile, Cardiff went top of SRC with a 34-26 bonus-point win over RGC at the Arms Park. Scrum-half Ethan Lloyd’s try on eight minutes, converted by Josh Thomas, put the Blue & Blacks ahead.
Then six minutes later hooker Alun Rees scored from the back of a driving maul, but this time the try went unconverted. Two Billy McBryde penalties got RGC on the scoreboard and then on 35 minutes the visitors went through the phases, with wing Rhys Tudor picking the ball up and running in their opening try.
McBryde’s conversion gave the Gogs a slender 13-12 lead at half time. Joe Goodchild scored again for Cardiff on 52 minutes, unconverted and then, five minutes later, centre Jason Harries scored their fourth try after a break down the wing, converted by Matty Young, to make it 24-13.
Back came RGC, with centre Delwyn Jones finishing off a great move off a line out on 62 minutes. McBryde’s conversion and two further penalties edged the visitors back into the lead 26-24.
The ultimately decisive moment arrived on 75 minutes with flanker Lucas de la Rua scoring Cardiff’s fifth and match-winning try. Thomas converted before also sending over a late penalty goal.
This win, a third on the bounce in the league, takes Dan Fish’s side up from third to first and now a point clear of Llandovery – who were not in action. It also saw Cardiff avenge their 34-31 home defeat by RGC in the SRC Cup seven days earlier.
Swansea made it back-to-back league wins at St Helen’s as full-back Harri Houston’s last-gasp try earned the Whites a hard-fought 27-22 win over Carmarthen Quins.
Tight head prop Ellis Fackrell, outside half Josh Phillips and scrum-half Matthew Aubrey also scored for Swansea. Phillips kicked two conversions and a penalty.
Hooker Lewis Morgan, wing Louis Rees, scrum-half Archie Hughes and centre Gabe McDonald scored for Quins, with Elis Price converting the latter. Those efforts secured the west Walians two bonus points but could not prevent a fifth straight league defeat.
