Scarlets maintained their push for a URC play-off spot by battling to a 38-19 bonus-point win over the Dragons in Newport.

In a gripping contest of fluctuating fortunes, Dwayne Peel’s side raced into a 17-0 lead only for the Dragons to fight back either side of half-time to move ahead with 19 minutes remaining.

However, unlike the previous week in Llanelli, it was the Scarlets who finished the stronger, crossing for three tries in the final quarter, to cement their place at the head of the Welsh Shield and move within striking distance of the top eight with two games of the regular season to play.

Second row Sam Lousi produced another totemic display to earn the player-of-the-match award, skipper Jonathan Davies led impressively again, while full-back Angus O’Brien helped himself to a brace of tries.

Lousi, Ryan Elias, replacement Rob Evans and wing Corey Baldwin also got their name on the scoresheet with fly-half Rhys Patchell landing four conversions.

Picking up where they had left off at Parc y Scarlets, it was the Dragons who started the game the brighter and manufactured an early opportunity for a try only for scrum-half Gonzalo Bertranou to spill a pass with the line at his mercy.

After withstanding that early storm it was the visitors who struck on 11 minutes.

The forwards rumbled forward from a driving line-out and after the maul was halted it was Lousi who dived over acrobatically to touch down wide out.

It got better quickly for the Scarlets and that man Lousi was involved again. Turnover ball was spun wide on halfway, slick hands then sent full-back O’Brien racing through the gap and  the full-back showed good pace to get to the corner.

Patchell converted, but the Scarlets then found themselves down to 14 men when wing Steff Evans - making his 150th Scarlets appearance - was yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on.

It needed more resilient defensive work to deny the home side, but it was the Scarlets who ramped up the power again for try number three.

From a close-range line-out, the forwards organised themselves into formation and the Dragons had no answer to the marching Scarlet pack with Wales international Ryan Elias touching down at the back of it.

Despite the deficit, the Dragons had enjoyed the bulk of possession during the half and their pressure finally told on 33 minutes when centre Jack Dixon powered over following strong work from Aaron Wainwright.

Davies converted and the home side came close to adding to that tally just before the interval.

With momentum with the home side, the men of Gwent dominated the third quarter and were rewarded with tries from former Scarlets Jordan Williams and Adam Warren. Davies kicked his side into a 19-17 advantage, but that stung the visitors into a game-defining response.

Replacement Rob Evans peeled off a line-out drive for the bonus-point score, then with seven minutes remaining a Patchell miss-pass found Baldwin out wide, with the winger crossing in the corner.

That appeared to suck the energy out of the Dragons and the victory was sealed when Johnny Williams found O’Brien with a long looping pass in the final move of the match.