Scarlets (9) 14 Try: Edwards. Pens: S Jones 2, Priestland. Ospreys (7) 21 Tries: James 2. Con: Biggar. Pens: Biggar 3.
Ospreys prop Paul James charges through for his first try
Prop Paul James claimed both Ospreys tries as they won a hard-fought Boxing Day derby at Parc y Scarlets.
The Scarlets dominated much of the Magners League clash but were unable to convert pressure into points.
The home side did lead 9-7 at half-time thanks to two Stephen Jones kicks and Rhys Priestland's long-range effort.
But James' second try and Dan Biggar's boot then put the Ospreys in command, although Johnathan Edwards late try gave the Scarlets a losing bonus point.
The result briefly took the Ospreys top of the Magners League table, although that was short-lived with Leinster winning later that evening.
The Scarlets started with fiery intent at a 14,800 sell-out Parc y Scarlets and wasted no time in taking the game to their visitors.
A stolen line-out and a series of drives earned a first chance of points when Ospreys back-row Jerry Collins failed to roll away after making a tackle.
Jones missed the kick, straight-forward by his own high standards, but made amends soon after with a second chance gifted by Ricky Januarie not releasing the ball when tackled.
Chief bulwark for the Ospreys against the waves of red shirts was open-side Marty Holah, regularly disappearing into a ruck to turn over Scarlets possession, while Alun Wyn Jones and Collins tackled their hearts out.
Unfortunately for the visitors these brilliant pieces of defence were almost immediately wasted, with Januarie the main culprit.
James delighted with try double
The South Africa scrum-half was intent on booting away most of the hard-won possession, while the kicks themselves took in the full range between poor and shocking.
Yet despite being on the front foot - Jonathan Davies and Andy Fenby in particular making pleasing half-breaks in the backline - the Scarlets were unable to turn their dominance into points.
It took 19 minutes for the Ospreys' first scoring chance, a long-range penalty on the right from Biggar that never quite had the legs, but the visitors stunned Parc y Scarlets minutes later with the game's first try.
Tommy Bowe was the architect, the Ireland and Lions wing stepping inside a would-be tackler to break through and send Biggar down the right wing.
Stephen Jones put in a try-saving tackle on his rival fly-half but the ball rebounded off the Scarlets man into touch and the Ospreys had a five-metre attacking line-out.
Holah's tap-down was scrappy but James swept up the loose ball, surging through the middle of the disintegrated line-out untouched to score with an extravagant dive.
Biggar's conversion gave the Ospreys a 7-3 lead they scarcely deserved, although a long-range penalty from Priestland brought the Scarlets back to within a point.
Nikki Walker looked like he would add a second break-out try for the Ospreys, sent away after fine work by Andrew Bishop, only for his Scotland team-mate Sean Lamont to drag the wing down.
The half ended with the Scarlets just getting their noses in front thanks to a late Jones penalty, fortuitously awarded for a deliberate knock-on when the ball seemed instead to have been dislodged in the tackle.
It took the Ospreys just three minutes after the restart to retake the lead and it was James who crossed again.
It took too many Scarlets tacklers to stop a series of driving rucks - Collins just repulsed - and when Januarie and then Biggar spread the ball there were too few defenders out wide.
James did well to scoop up the ball as the pass fell just short and the prop earned his reward with a second try, although this one went unconverted.
Welsh rugby fans were treated to the welcome sight of Lee Byrne returning to action for the first time since suffering ligament damage to his right foot in October.
The Scarlets probably had different feelings on seeing one of the northern hemisphere's finest attacking full-backs take the field against them, especially with the Ospreys starting to find some fluidity in the backline.
The Ospreys then extended their lead in unusual circumstances with a retaken penalty ordered by referee Nigel Owens.
Biggar missed the initial kick but the official admonished Scarlets scrum-half Martin Roberts for a bit of verbal intimidation and invited Biggar to try again from 10 metres closer, the Ospreys fly-half accepting the chance.
A second Biggar penalty extended the Ospreys' lead to 18-9 but that sparked a furious assault by the Scarlets in the last 20 minutes, spurning kicks at goal in favour of attacking line-outs.
But the black shirts held firm and the ball was eventually spilt forward, allowing Januarie to lift the siege.
Biggar added his third penalty with five minutes remaining to effectively seal an Ospreys win.
Although flanker Edwards did force his way over in injury time to gain a losing bonus point for the Scarlets, it was scant consolation for all their efforts gone to waste.
Scarlets captain David Lyons: "We were only in front by one point at half-time but we definitely laid down a good platform in that first half to kick on.
"But the Ospreys were the team that lifted at the start of the second half, so that was disappointing.
"We're not under any illusions, we've got to roll up our sleeves and work hard. That's the only way we're going to start getting wins on the board."
Ospreys captain Ryan Jones: "It's testament to the way they've worked extremely hard over the last couple of weeks.
"We're getting a set-piece and a front five we can be extremely proud of, which is what you need in derbies.
"The pitch is all muddy, it's raining, the ball's wet and it came down to some fantastic scrums in the end."
Scarlets: Rhys Priestland; Morgan Stoddart, Sean Lamont, Jonathan Davies, Andy Fenby; Stephen Jones, Martin Roberts; Phil John, Ken Owens, Deacon Manu, Lou Reed, Dominic Day, Simon Easterby, Johnathan Edwards, David Lyons (capt). Replacements: Jamie Corsi, Emyr Phillips, Vernon Cooper for Day (51), Rob McCusker for Easterby (54), Lee Williams for Stoddart (65), Daniel Evans, Gareth Maule.
Ospreys: Gareth Owen; Tommy Bowe, Andrew Bishop, James Hook, Nikki Walker; Dan Biggar, Ricky Januarie; Paul James, Huw Bennett, Craig Mitchell, Ian Gough, Alun Wyn Jones, Jerry Collins, Marty Holah, Ryan Jones (capt). Replacements: Richard Hibbard for Bennett (51), Adam Jones for Mitchell (34), Ian Evans, Jonathan Thomas for A W Jones (46), Jamie Nutbrown, Sonny Parker for Hook (36), Lee Byrne for Owen (46).
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