Duncan Hodge kicked a controversial 80th minute penalty to end the challenge of Newport at Myreside tonight and maintain their remarkable 15-month unbeaten home record against Welsh opposition.

The last time these two teams met in the Welsh/Scottish league, at Rodney Parade in December, Newport overwhelmed Reivers 55-15.

But, there was to be no repeat of that capitulation on this occasion.

Newport were ahead inside the opening minute, fly-half Shane Howarth converting a penalty after Edinburgh lock Richard Metcalfe failed to release the ball as he ran out of his 22.

But, within four minutes Reivers were level. The home side turned over possession within yards of Newport's tryline and, faced with a flat lying defence, David Officer produced a snapshot drop goal.

Incisive breaks

The contest was flat for a period with both teams guilty of countless handling errors for taking the ball too far in contact.

Edinburgh, though, eventually settled more quickly and took charge.

They built impressively from the platform laid by second row forward Ian Fullarton before their strike runners made incisive breaks.

It was from such an incursion that scrum-half Graeme Burns spilled the ball with the try line beckoning.

The miss proved crucial because by the half hour, Newport were ahead again.

Weak tackling

Reivers counter-attacked purposefully but Officer lost the ball, allowing Matt Mostyn to fly-hack the ball beyond Chris Paterson, and crash over for a try against the run of play. Howarth missed the conversion.

Trailing 8-6 Edinburgh restored their lead almost immediately. Martin Leslie snaffled possession, breaking through several weak tackles before Don Mackinnon exploded onto the pass to go over in the right hand corner.

With the break approaching, Hodge missed a difficult penalty attempt to extend Reivers 11-8 interval lead as Newport strayed offside.

Within three minutes of the resumption, Hodge pushed Edinburgh further ahead after executing a sweetly taken drop goal from almost 40 metres.

Controversial

Newport continued to lose their discipline and control but twice in quick succession the Hodge fluffed his lines with kickable penalties that lacked the legs.

In the 63rd minute, former Australian full-back Matthew Pini powerfully finished off a sweeping movement begun by Jason Jones-Hughes on the half-way line to put Newport ahead by a solitary point.

With 10 minutes remaining Hodge missed a simple kick that might have won it for Reivers.

But in the final minute amid angry exchanges, the home side were awarded a penalty for Newport's failure to release the ball and Hodge made no mistake with another close range effort.

Teams - Edinburgh Reivers: C Paterson, C Murray, D Officer, K Utterson, C Joiner, D Hodge, G Burns, A Jacobsen, S Scott, B Stewart, I Fullarton, R Metcalffe, D Mackinnon (capt), I Sinclair, M Leslie.
Replacements: S Robertson, I Smith, G Dall, M Taylor, I Fairley, G Shiel, S Lang.

Newport: E Lewis, M Mostyn, J Jones-Hughes, A Marinos, M Watkins, S Howarth, D Edwards, R Snow, J Richards, A Garvey, S Raiwalui, I Gough, A Popham, J Forster, G Teichmann (capt).
Replacements: C Jones, P Young, G Taylor, J Powell, M Pini, J Pritchard, D Burn.

Referee: I Ramage (Berwick, SRFU).