Dragons 18-19 Cardiff: Blue and Blacks scrape through in game marred by two red cards

Cardiff scraped past the Dragons on Friday night, winning a game marred by two red cards 19-18.

The visitors took the lead in the opening exchanges, pushing the Dragons off their own ball on the edge of the 22 before Dean Ryan’s side jumped offside. Rhys Priestland did not miss from the tee.

But the game descended into a drab, error-strewn contest with neither side able to make it to their opponent’s 22, let alone manufacture a discernable chance. Handling errors and scrappiness were scuppering the encounter at almost every turn before things got a little bit lively.

In the 16th minute, Dragons lock Joe Davies entered a tackle area to support a team-mate and clear out Wales prop Rhys Carre, who was having a mixed evening. Despite having plenty of the prop’s body to aim at, Davies went for the head, made direct contact and was shown the red card he deserved.

Around 10 minutes later, promising young Dragons fly-half Will Reed clipped over a long-range penalty after the hosts’ seven-man scrum got a decision from referee Craig Evans but the game was still struggling to spark into life.

Cardiff wing Owen Lane provided it, though, just after the half hour mark. Running back a loose kick from Jordan Williams, Lane sped outside Jack Dixon and drew the last man before giving Lloyd Williams a simple run-in for his fourth try in four games.

But minutes later, Cardiff were reduced to 14 men. Diminutive Dragons pivot Reed stepped back against the grain and was half-tackled when Cardiff hooker Liam Belcher flew into the tackle, wildly out of control, and clattered the 20-year-old in the side of the head. One of the ugliest tackles of the year brought another red from referee Evans.

From the ensuing penalty, the Dragons went for the