Dragons 24-7 Oyonnax: Rio Dyer double seals bonus-point win

Ashton Hewitt became Dragons' second highest try-scorer with his 36th

Dragons stunned Oyonnax with three tries in the last five minutes to claim an unlikely bonus-point win in the European Challenge Cup.

Leo Treilles gave the French visitors a 7-0 lead at half-time at Rodney Parade.

Ashton Hewitt became Dragons' all-time leading European try scorer with his 14th to level the scores.

Rio Dyer scored twice after lock Joe Davies' try, as a late flurry settled a game which was short on points and quality but featured plenty of spirit.

How this remarkable match ended with a bonus-point win given the scores were locked at 7-7 until the 74th minute will confound both sides.

However Dragons will care little after claiming only a second win of the season.

Dragons may prop up the United Rugby Championship but boast an impressive home record in this competition having won 11 of 14 games against French opponents at Rodney Parade.

Head coach Dai Flanagan has again targeted the Challenge Cup, having reached the knockout stage last season, and picked a strong team that included fit-again Wales hooker Elliot Dee.

In contrast Oyonnax fielded an entire new team from the Top 14 for their return to Europe after a five-year absence following their return to the French top flight.

And they thought they had taken the lead on 13 minutes but Souleymane Coulibaly's try was ruled out by television match official Mark Patton for a foot in touch under Hewitt's tackle.

Opposite wing Dyer, making his 50th club appearance, then denied Joe Ravouvou when he pipped the ex-New Zealand Sevens star to the touch down.

But it was third time lucky for the visitors when Dragons ran out of defenders and centre Treilles scored in the right corner.

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Flanagan would have wanted his wings attacking rather than defending but Dragons were pinned back by a strong wind that made kicking - and lineouts - a lottery.

However Dragons would have been content to trail just 7-0 at half-time and with the wind at their backs, they cancelled out that lead just four minutes into the second half.

Sio Tomkinson's speculative clearance caught the wind and Oyonnax were back-pedalling and from the resulting scrum, Will Reed sent Hewitt over.

Reed converted from close to the touchline to level the scores but twice pulled penalties to the left as the stalemate held all the way until the late drama.

Davies finished a penalty move after a kick that caught in the wind almost gifted a score for Dyer.

But the wing was far more ruthless when he raced onto Steff Hughes' clever through ball before finishing a sweeping move with the final attack of the game.

Dragons head coach Dai Flanagan said: "It's a great start. You can't underestimate five points in Europe but also a second win in a row at Rodney Parade.

"We were full of errors but we stuck at it and stuck together. The first half was positive, we defended well and our discipline was good.

"We banged on the door for 76 minutes and didn't get much reward but we kept going and eventually got those three tries at the end."

Dragons: Jordan Williams; Rio Dyer, Sio Tomkinson, Steff Hughes (capt), Ashton Hewitt; Will Reed, Rhodri Williams; Rhodri Jones, Elliot Dee, Lloyd Fairbrother, Joe Davies, George Nott, Ryan Woodman, Harri Keddie, Aaron Wainwright.

Replacements: Brodie Coghlan, Aki Seiuli, Chris Coleman, Sean Lonsdale, George Young, Dane Blacker, Harri Ackerman, Corey Baldwin.

Oyonnax: Maxime Salles; Souleymane Coulibaly, Leo Treilles, Pedro Bettencourt, Joe Ravouvou; Jules Soulan, Charlie Cassang; Rory Sutherland, Manu Leiataua, Irakli Mirtskhulava, Victor Lebas, Steve Mafi, Filimo Taofifenua, Hugo Hermet, Loic Godener

Replacements: Julien Ratajczak, Adrien Bordenave, Antonin Corso, Ewan Johnson, Ilan El Khattabi, David Odiase, Alexis Pisani, Thibault Berthaud

Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ire)

Assistant referees: Keane Davison & Tomas O'Sullivan (Ire)

TMO: Mark Patton (Ire)