European Challenge Cup: Newport Gwent Dragons 34-10 Enisei-STM

Anton Rudoi is tackled by Dragons' Rynard Landman

Newport Dragons keep their European Challenge Cup knock-out stage hopes alive with a bonus-point win over Enisei-STM of Russia.

The hosts left it late but secured a vital bonus point in their 34-10 victory over Enisei-STM.

Harri Keddie touched down late - with his second - for the bonus point after T Rhys Thomas and Rhys Buckley crossed.

Wings Denis Simplekevich and Igor Kurashov scored for enterprising Enisei at either end of the second half.

Dorian Jones kicked eight home points while replacement Angus O'Brien converted Buckley's and back-row replacement Keddie's scores.

Dragons did well to wear down Russian resistance in the final quarter after they had threatened to come back into the game at 13-5.

Keddie's dynamic performance as replacement number eight earned the 20-year-old the man-of-the-match award.

The Welsh side, who have reached the semi-finals in successive seasons, have again won all their home games in the competition in 2016-17.

Kingsley Jones' Dragons travel to Brive in their final group match on Saturday, 21 January.

Brive remain top of Pool 3, level on points with the second-placed Welsh team, as they go into Saturday's home tie against bottom-side Worcester.

Dragons head coach and former Russia boss Kingsley Jones told BBC Radio Wales: "I know they're a stubborn team and after 10 minutes particularly, we were leading 10-0 and we have to respect the opposition.

"It's never going to be 25-0 in five minutes.

"So I thought the way we went about our business in the second half particularly was excellent.

"They came back into the game with a try, but the challenge with this team - I've been saying it for a year or so - is the top two inches.

"The biggest positive is that we went on and achieved what we set out to do when they got back in the game."

Newport Gwent Dragons: Carl Meyer; Tom Prydie, Tyler Morgan, Jack Dixon, Adam Warren; Dorian Jones, Sarel Pretorius; Sam Hobbs, T Rhys Thomas, Brok Harris, Matthew Screech, Rynard Landman, Nick Crosswell, Nic Cudd, Ed Jackson.

Replacements: Rhys Buckley, Tom Davies, Lloyd Fairbrother, Cory Hill, Harrison Keddie, Tavis Knoyle, Angus O'Brien, Adam Hughes.

Enisei-STM: Ramil Gaisin; Igor Kurashov, Jurijs Baranovs (capt), Dmitrii Gerasimov, Denis Simplikevich; Iurii Kushnarev, Alexey Shcherban; Andrei Polivalov, Shamil Magomedov, Jake Grey, Viacheslav Krasylnyk, Maxim Gargalic, Mikheil Gachechiladze, Plavel Butenko, Anton Rudoi.

Replacements: Nazir Gasanov, Valery Morozov, Azat Musin, Evgeny Elgin, Aleksei Mikhaltsov, Konstantin Uzunov, Thomas Halse, Vitalii Orlov

Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)

Assistant referees: Nigel Correll (Ireland), Helen O'Reilly (Ireland)