Ebbw Vale's Rhys Shorney finally ended Cross Keys' one season stay in the Welsh-Scottish League as the centre crossed for a hat-trick of tries.

Long since looking doomed to relegation from the top flight, Keys could not snuff out the danger of Shorney, whose touchdowns came in the 43rd, 64th and 73rd minutes.

By far the best was his second when he raced 45 metres to the line after taking a scoring pass from lively full-back Paul Matthews, who scored a first-half try himself.

The visitors' other try came from No8 Gareth Green, while fly-half Jason Strange collected 14 points by kicking two penalties and four conversions. His replacement Shaun Connor also landed a late penalty.

Cross Keys fought like tigers and certainly did not deserve to trail by such a wide margin at the end.

Centre Matthew McCarthy and hooker Gary Hicks crossed for their tries while Fijian fly-half Seremaia Bai converted both.

Defensive errors

Bai showed some neat, early touches and he set up the first try of the game for Cross Keys after eight minutes.

The outside-half put Simon Crane on a run to the Vale line and although the full-back was pulled down just short, McCarthy skipped over the ensuing ruck to make the touchdown.

Four minutes later home centre Gwion Bowen sliced through on a dangerous run but ran out of support some 15 metres short of the visitors' line.

In the cut and thrust of this Gwent local derby Ebbw Vale produced some swift passing that ended in Matthews romping over for his try on the half hour.

Outside-half Strange could not convert but continued pressure resulted in Green capitalising on some defensive errors to grab a try from a scrum.

Strange converted with the last kick of the half to give Ebbw Vale a rather fortunate 12-7 interval lead, but the visitors turned the screw in the second half.

Cross Keys: Tries: McCarthy, Hicks. Cons: Bai 2.

Ebbw Vale: Tries: Matthews, Shorney 3, Green. Cons: Strange 4. Pens: Strange 2, Connor.

Att: 1,750

Teams -

Cross Keys: Crane; Arnold, McCarthy, Bowen, McDonald; Bai, Walsh; Evans, Hicks, Crimmins, Kelly, D Davies, S Gardner, Howarth, Watkins.
Replacements: Ellis, Stroud, A Price, Fisher, M Jones, Stewart, S Rees.

Ebbw Vale: Matthews; J Williams, Shorney, Hawker, Wagstaff; Strange, R Smith; Thomas, L Phillips, Penisini, Billen, D Jones, Budgett, Rogers, Green.
Replacements: A Phillips, B Morris, Edwards, S Williams, Betts, Connor, John.

Referee: Nigel Williams (Bryncoch).