Captain Goosen killed off the Dragons’ faint hopes of qualification by slotting home a 40-metre goal with the last kick of the game after Joe Bearman conceded a penalty in stoppage time.
Fly half Ceri Sweeney thought he had got the Gwent region out of jail with a drop goal with three minutes left on the clock.
But the Dragons couldn’t hold on and ill-discipline cost them dear again, and leaves them just playing for pride in their remaining pool matches with London Irish and Perpignan.
A low key crowd of just 4,516 had hoped the Dragons would build on their first victory in Italy last week. Dragons Coach Turner opted to make two changes from that 35-33 victory with Richard Fussell in for Richard Mustoe on the wing and Bearman was recalled for Adam Jones in the pack.
But Treviso started brightly and Goosen set the tone by putting the visitors ahead on three minutes with a penalty from 40 metres.
The Italians hadn’t won on the road in the Heineken Cup since 2004 at Bourgoin and had only achieved four in their previous 28 European away fixtures but they made it number five largely to an impressive display from their forward pack.
Former Newport fly half and Treviso Coach Franco Smith started to believe a historic win was on the cards in the 19th minute when prop Nicolas De Gregori burrowed over after a clean attacking line-out and period of sustained pressure.
It was De Gregori’s second try in successive weeks following his score in the defeat in Treviso. Goosen missed the resulting conversion but it was a dream opening quarter for the Italian champions.
The visitors were dominating possession and territory and they looked dangerous with every attack as full-back Brendon Williams joined the line to demonstrate his electrifying pace.
The Dragons were given their first opportunity to gain a foothold in the match but Sweeney cracked the base of the posts with his attempt from halfway. But the home side weren’t to be denied on 33 minutes when flanker Bearman broke through the Italian defence on the left flank.
Bearman’s inside pass found wing Fussell who sharply to captain marvel Charvis who fought off a last-gasp Treviso challenge to just muster enough strength to force his way over the try-line.
The crucial try was Charvis’s sixth successive try against Italian opposition at club level and followed up his score in the warm sunshine in Treviso.
Sweeney converted the extras to put the hosts firmly back in the tie before the Dragons were handed a further advantage two minutes later when Treviso try-scorer De Gregori was sin-binned for persistent infringement.
And Turner’s men smelt their opponents were there for the taking with Sweeney opting to kick for touch and a line-out deep inside the Treviso 22 rather than take a penalty. But the visitors held on for the remaining seconds of the half to take a slender 8-7 lead into the interval.
The Dragons came firing out of the blocks in the second period and they were rewarded when Bearman powered through after Treviso held up Adam Black’s initial burst. Sweeney extended the Dragons lead to six points by scoring his second conversion.
But Treviso refused to lie down and Goosen, with his unorthodox kicking style, boomed home a long-range penalty on 52 minutes.
Ill-discipline by Dragons prop Adam Black cost him a yellow card and in the following phase of play, Treviso No.8 Dion Kingi stormed through and supported by Goosen’s conversion handed the Italians a four-point lead.
Thomas’s try swung the lead back in the Dragons favour before Goosen and Sweeney scored before Goosen’s final winning kick.
target=_blank>Click Here for a Statistical Match Report from the Newport Gwent Dragons v Benetton Treviso clash
