A last-minute try by centre Jonathan Hawker sealed a crucial victory for Ebbw Vale.

Hawker pounced on a loose ball over the Reivers' line and fly-half Jason Strange joyfully landed the conversion with the last kick of the game to record Vale's first league win in three months.

The Steelmen's other tryscorer was promising full-back Paul Matthews who rounded off a sharp passing movement with a touchdown three minutes after the restart.

Strange had a good night with the boot, blasting over four first-half penalties as well as the conversion.

Fought bravely

Reivers, who had fought bravely in the boggy conditions, must have thought they had a chance of recording their first away win of the season.

But they shot themselves in the foot in the 70th minute. A flurry of punches near the home line resulted in the visitors losing two forwards, Allan Jacobsen and Richard Metcalfe, to the sin bin for the closing stages.

Vale flanker Stean Williams was also sin-binned after 50 minutes when he was adjudged to be the main culprit following some foul play at a maul.

Defensive lapse

The visitors' points all came in the first half. Graeme Burns crossed for a 30th-minute try at the posts after a glaring defensive lapse by the home back row.

Duncan Hodge converted and then put over a superb 43-metre penalty just before the interval when Vale led 12-10.

But the relief on the faces of the home side showed how important victory was in their bid to claw themselves away from the foot of the Welsh/Scottish League table.

Scorers - Ebbw Vale: Tries: P Matthews, J Hawker; Con: J Strange; Pens: Strange 4

Edinburgh Reivers: Try: G Burns; Con: D Hodge; Pen: Hodge

Ebbw Vale: Matthews, John, Shorney, Hawker, Wagstaff, Strange, Smith, Thomas, L. Phillips, Penisini, Dillen, Edwards, Green, S Williams, M Jones
Replacements: A Phillips, B Morris, Llewellyn, T Morris, M Taylor, A Williams, J Williams

Edinburgh Reivers: Lang, Murray, Di Rollo, Utterson, Joiner, Hodge, Burns, Jacobsen, Robertson, Stewart, Fullarton, Metcalfe, Walker, Sinclair, G Dall
Replacements: Scott, Smith, Weir, M Lee, Fairley, Officer, Davidson

Referee: Hugh Watkins (Welsh RFU)

Att: 1,000