Scarlets (11) 24 Tries: L Williams, R Thomas Con: Jones Pens: Jones 3, Priestland Brive (9) 12 Pens: Goode 3, Orquera
Lee Williams opens the Scarlets' try-scoring account in Europe
Wales prop Rhys Thomas scored a late try over battling Brive as Llanelli Scarlets secured just their second win in 14 Heineken Cup games.
Lee Williams scored the Scarlets' first try on the stroke of half-time before Thomas piled over the line in the dying minutes of this Pool Six clash.
Lions fly-half Stephen Jones kicked 11 points and Rhys Priestland added three more in a full-blooded showdown.
Andy Goode kicked three penalties and Luciano Orquera kicked one for Brive.
But it was the Scarlets, Welsh rugby's one-time European flagbearers, who earned a morale-boosting two-tries-to-nil win with scores at the end of each half by wing Williams and replacement Thomas.
The Scarlets may have starred in three semis and four Heineken Cup quarter-finals but the hosts had lost their previous four Magners League games.
But the Welsh team went in at half-time clutching a well-deserved 11-9 lead, having had the bulk of possession and territory against a Brive side enjoying their first appearance in the tournament for 11 years.
The Scarlets, though, only led thanks to a try in the final minute of the first half by Williams, put over after incisive running from fly-half Jones and makeshift centre Sean Lamont.
Stephen Jones passes the 2,500 points for the Scarlets against Brive
Until that moment, Brive held a 9-6 advantage, Goode kicking all three of his chances, Jones only on target with two of his four attempts.
But his second penalty took him past 2,500 points for the region, and the Scarlets should have been further ahead at the break.
Twice they failed to exploit four-to-two overlaps - and then Jonathan Davies was stopped in his tracks by a crunching tackle from former Scarlet Alix Popham.
It proved a key moment for both sides as Popham was carried off with an elbow injury and Davies limped off three minutes later.
The Scarlets dominated for large periods of the second half but could not shake off Brive until the final minutes.
Jones put his side further ahead with a 53rd-minute penalty, a score that was cancelled out with a long-range effort by Orquera - who had replaced Goode - two minutes later.
The Scarlets were given more breathing space with Priestland's penalty from inside his own half as the region led 17-12 after 68 minutes.
The result of the game had looked certain when replacement flanker Richie Pugh picked up a loose ball 40 metres out - but the celebrations turned to frustration after the referee ruled out the score for an offside.
Ironically the Scarlets' winning score came from a missed Jones penalty. The ball ricocheted off the post, before Thomas crashed over for the try two minutes from time.
Scarlets: Evans, M. Jones, Lamont, Davies, Williams, S. Jones, Roberts, I. Thomas, Rees, Manu, Day, Reed, Easterby, D. Jones, Lyons. Replacements: Priestlend for Evans (41), Higgitt for Davies (33), John for I. Thomas (51), Owen for Rees (48), R. Thomas for Manu (51), Cooper for Day (69), Pugh for Easterby (69). Not Used: Knoyle.
Brive: Estebanez, Agulla, Noon, Mckay, Waqaseduadua, Goode, Perry, Khinchagishvili, Bonrepaux, Garcia, Short, Mela, Popham, Forgues, Claassen. Replacements: Cooke for Mckay (57), Orquera for Goode (49), Pejoine for Perry (69), Toderasc for Khinchagishvili (69), Thompson for Bonrepaux (44), Barnard for Garcia (42), Uys for Mela (42), Domingo for Popham (30).
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