Rodney Parade Tuesday, August 14th, 2012   Conference Attendance: 2,646       Newport County 4-0 Nuneaton Borough
2012 /13

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Newport County AFC V NUNEATON TOWN 7.45pm Tues 14th August 2012 4 - 0 Attendance: 2,646 (Away: 69) Result: 4 - 0 Venue: Home Competition: BSBP Referee: Mr. B. Huxtable (Torrington) Sponsor's M.o.M: Aaron O'Connor Goals: O'Connor (2), Louis, Evans Back on a balmy summer’s evening in August 1994, Newport AFC played their first competitive match at Spytty Park trouncing Redditch United by four goals to nil. Just eight days shy of exactly 18 years later, the Exiles officially christened Rodney Parade in the same manner: putting newly promoted Nuneaton Town to the sword by an identical score-line as County’s great start to the season continues. Roared on by a partisan 2,646 crowd, an irresistible County followed up Saturday’s fine 4-3 success at Mansfield with another scintillating display, cementing their best start to a season for a decade. Boss Justin Edinburgh named an unchanged side following those audacious shenanigans in Nottinghamshire, with Michael Flynn returning to the bench in place of Lee Minshull. Visitors Nuneaton, regular opponents back in the 1990s and the Southern League days, were making their first visit to Newport for fifteen years following their promotion to this level last season. It was the exuberant home side who dominated from the off: the Exiles’ exciting front trio creating havoc whilst ably assisted by marauding full-backs David Pipe and Andy Sandell. An early flurry of corner kicks were remarkable for nothing bar defender Tony James having to be treated for a nasty cut to the face on eight minutes: until a rampant County snatched the goal that settled them down five minutes later. A Sandell ball into a crowded box caused confusion and Aaron O’Connor was on hand to ruthlessly smash the loose ball home thus igniting the party. Seven minutes later the effervescent hosts doubled their lead with a visually perfect second: Jefferson Louis the beneficiary of a sparkling move that had the delighted crowd in raptures. David Pipe, who had almost scored himself just a minute earlier, combined lethally with Danny Crow, before crossing from the right for a header that Louis simply buried past Town keeper Neil Collett. County continued to pour forward and the almost unplayable Louis sent another shot wide of the target before repeating the trick on 36 minutes, following some sterling approach work from the busy Max Porter. To their great credit, Nuneaton continued to probe and attempt to pluck their way through a Newport rearguard that was thankfully more solid than Saturday, but they ultimately reached the interval having not troubled Lenny Pidgeley in the home goal. On the stroke of half-time, the Exiles could even have made it three: Porter doing superbly to switch the play from left to right, finding the outstanding Pipe who bulldozed his way past two defenders before blazing an effort past the upright. Half-time: County 2 Nuneaton 0 Now attacking the School End, the Exiles began the second period by replacing Tony James with Andrew Hughes. The visitors went one better by introducing two substitutes in a vain attempt to beef up their attacking options: Wesley York and Kyle Patterson replacing Tom James and Robbie Thompson-Brown respectively. It appeared to have worked as a more purposeful Nuneaton enjoyed much of the early possession, before succumbing to a third home goal on 53 minutes that ultimately killed what little contest remained. Aaron O’Connor was the delighted recipient of his second of the night and his third in just two games for his new club, bundling home at the near post after another delicious move involving Porter, Pipe and Louis. A special mention too to Torrington official Mr. Huxtable, who left his cards in his pocket on an evening in which he allowed the game to flow pleasingly: something that is all too rare these days sadly. Indeed County have yet to pick up a caution in their two games so far, a rather welcome change from the disciplinary problems of last year. The visitors went within a whisker of nabbing a consolation goal on the hour: Danny Sleath executing a wonderful dummy to lose his marker before crashing a 20-yard shot against the top of Pidgeley’s crossbar. Seven minutes later, Adam Walker cut inside from the left before firing in a low effort that Pidgeley did well to parry past the post. The Exiles responded and Danny Crow was unlucky not to open his Newport account on 75 minutes: Neil Collett beating away his venomous effort after another flowing move down the channel had undone the visitors. Nuneaton continued to look for that elusive goal with County now seemingly happy to soak up the pressure and strike on the break: the merits of which delivered a fourth home goal on 86 minutes to round off a perfect night’s endeavours. Jefferson Louis found Danny Crow who, having feigned to shoot, instead chipped a sublime pass to the onrushing Lee Evans who joyfully smashed his first County goal past the beleaguered Collett: a perfect finale to a perfect evening. Final Score: County 4 Nuneaton 0 Bookings: County: None / Nuneaton: None.