Aberavon fell to their third loss in four games as a resolute Ebbw Vale took the chances on offer and defended stoutly to claim a deserved win. Former Wizard Kristian Owen was gifted a try while to make matters worse home centre Darren Ryan was sent off after 65 minutes for stamping.
Aberavon coach Simon King praised the Steelmen.
He said: "They had a game plan and they stuck to it. It was a stop-start game and though they did not create anything, we handed out gift tries. The match was strewn with errors."
Last season's Ebbw Vale skipper Craig Cleaver has signed for Aberavon, but will not be fit until around January following a neck operation.
He said: "Kristian Owen and I came down from Merthyr together by car. I think he almost stopped as he thought the whistle had gone."
It was 8-6 to Ebbw Vale near the interval when Owen collected at halfway and the players seemed to freeze as he trotted clear to the line.
Powerful South African prop Alistair Lyon went over for a fifth-minute try for the visitors, but Jamie Davies landed two penalties before former Swansea back Aaron Bramwell replied.
Davies opened the second spell with another penalty only for Ebbw Vale to break back and centre James Lewis created room for wing Andrew Bevan to pop up on the right and go behind the posts.
Worse followed when Ryan was dismissed, but the 14-man Wizards pressed strongly as King made changes and good passing saw wing Richard Carter cross in the corner.
Paul Bamsey put down a vital pass and replacement James Garland hit a post with a drop-goal attempt before salvaging a bonus point with a late penalty.
King's former club Pontypridd are Aberavon's next opponents. He said: "They don't get easier, do they?"
