Scarlets bag derby points

Jones unerring with the boot as the Dragons slump again

Last updated: 2nd January 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Scarlets bag derby points

Jones: 19 points with the boot

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Scarlets scored two tries and Stephen Jones booted 19 points on the way to beating the Dragons 29-24 at the Parc y Scarlets.

The hosts hit back from a 17-10 half-time deficit, aided by a try from Phil John, to send the Dragons to their third successive Magners League defeat.

Two first-half scores from Richard Fussell gave the visitors hope of victory but in the end they required a late try from Shaun Connor just to secure a losing bonus point.

Scarlets welcomed back Jones, Matthew Rees and Simon Easterby and their class showed early on as they breezed into a 10-0 lead inside the first 10 minutes.

Centre Regan King rounded two tackles to go over in the seventh minute before Jones, who had just slotted the conversion, added a penalty following a high-tackle on scrum-half Martin Roberts.

Fussell double

They were dominant but spurned the opportunity of a second try when Jonathan Davies knocked on deep into the Dragons' 22, but Fussell crossed twice against the run of play in the space of 11 minutes to turn the match on its head.

The winger slid home in the left corner after Connor started the move with a long pass, and on the half-hour mark he was over again after being set up by Jamie Ringer.

Colin Charvis and Rhys Thomas both went close to increasing the lead before Connor slotted a penalty in the final minute of the half to leave the hosts with an uphill task.

But after Connor missed a relatively simple penalty two minutes into the second period the Scarlets began to work their way back into the match, John storming over just before the hour mark after Jones had kicked another penalty.

The Wales fly-half then made the visitors pay for their indiscretions with a hat-trick of penalty goals within the space of 10 minutes to earn his side a 12-point lead.

However, Connor then converted his own try six minutes from time to set up an exciting finish, but the Scarlets held on to secure the points.