Cross Keys won their first game of the season as Edinburgh's appalling run of form on Welsh soil continued on Saturday.

Keys coach Dai Rees was jubilant: "It is indescribable and I have constantly said we have been playing well.

"What is nice is that we did it in style, we kept going right to the end and could have got another try," he said.

Rees described the mood in the Gwent side's dressing room: "You'd swear we'd won the first division again - it has probably made our season," he beamed.

Keys have now given themsleves a potential survival lifeline after the WRU announced nine clubs will compete in next season's proposed Celtic League.

Miserable afternoon

Keys are now only three points behind eighth-placed Welsh club Ebbw Vale, who have yet to visit Pandy Park.

Saturday's match was a tight affair with the Reivers leading 7-5 at half-time after Scottish international number eight Martin Leslie crossed for a try.

Andrew Gibbs went over for an unconverted try for the Keys to keep them in touch of that elusive win.

When Hodge increased the Reivers' lead to 10-5 early in the second period it looked as though Cross Keys would suffer yet another miserable afternoon.

But they produced a gutsy fightback with their reliable fullback Chad Bushell reducing the deficit with a penalty goal and then Nick Kelly putting them ahead with a splendid try.

Bushell completed the victory by landing his second penalty of the afternoon.

Scorers - Cross Keys: Tries: Kelly, Gibbs. Pens: Bushell 2.

Edinburgh Reivers: Tries: Leslie. Cons: Hodge. Pens: Hodge.

Attendance: 1,500

Cross Keys: C Bushell; T Adebayo, G Bowen, S Bai, S Reed; R Davies, T Walsh; G Stroud, G Hicks, D Crimmins, K Stewart, N Kelly, D Davies, A Howarth, A Gibbs.
Replacements: C Ellis, A Price, J Rogers, K Cadogan M Price, P Watkins, S Gardner.

Edinburgh Reivers: S Lang; K Milligan, D Officer, K Utterson, C Joiner; D Hodge, I Fairley; A Jacobsen, S Scott, B Stewart, I Fullarton, R Metcalfe, D Mackinnon (capt), M Taylor, M Leslie.
Replacements: P Robertson, C Smith, G Dall, I Sinclair, M Lee, M Di Rollo.

Referee: Hugh Watkins (WRU)