Celtic League finalists Neath staged an astonishing second-half fight back to stun Newport in a thrilling Welsh Premiership clash at Rodney Parade.

The Welsh All Blacks trailed 25-3 after 56 minutes but then left Newport reeling as they scored three converted tries after appearing to be down and out.

The first half belonged entirely to Newport as Neath struggled to recover from their emphatic 37-17 defeat by Munster at the Millennium Stadium last Saturday.

Newport, seeking their fourth successive victory in all competitions, cruised clear as their South African star Percy Montgomery again took centre stage.

Montgomery scored an early try and was also on target with his kicks - and, boasting a 22-point lead approaching the hour mark, there seemed no possibility of Newport coming unstuck.

But Neath had other ideas.

Substitute flanker Jamie Ringer dived over for a try which replacement fly-half Shaun Connor converted, and when dangerous wing Shane Williams breached Newport's defence just four minutes later - Connor again converting - alarm bells were ringing.

Referee Paul Adams, whose inconsistent decision-making infuriated the vast majority of a 6,000-strong crowd, sin-binned Newport flanker Ian Gough for throwing a punch nine minutes from time - and Neath needed no second invitation to make their temporary one-man advantage count.

Their veteran number eight Rowland Phillips grabbed what turned out to be the winning score on 76 minutes, Connor converting in stunned silence.

Newport had their chances to win it in the dying seconds. But both Montgomery and fly-half Shane Howarth were wide with drop goal attempts before the South African missed a touchline penalty attempt with the final kick in the seventh minute of injury time.

Newport had only themselves to blame for this latest setback in a hugely disappointing season.

Everything looked rosy early on as Montgomery and hooker Paul Young scored tries. The former also added two penalties and a conversion to leave Neath trailing 18-3 at the break.

When wing Matt Mostyn powered through a huge gap five minutes after the restart - Montgomery converting - Newport must have felt they had surely done enough.

But Neath, capitalising on a number of unforced errors in Newport's defence, slowly established momentum - and there was a predictability about the closing stages, all underlined when Phillips completed a remarkable escape act.