Newport County, the team that have been seemingly unable to buy a goal on home soil, bucked the trend by whacking in four splendid goals as they waltzed past plucky Carshalton and into the FA Trophy Quarter-finals. A favourable tie awaits the Exiles too, as their best ever showing in the competition now leaves them excitingly just two ties away from a place at Wembley Stadium. Who’d have thought it? Despite the ongoing struggle to escape from the National Conference drop zone, boss Justin Edinburgh plumped for a full-strength side; clearly believing that the squad he has shaped now has enough depth to ably do battle on both fronts.
The only changes from the team that had triumphed away at Gateshead in the Exiles’ last outing were via design and necessity. Cup-tied Andy Sandell was unavailable for this one, so newly-signed Adam Chapman slotted into a strong looking midfield with Messrs Pipe, Minshull and Knights; the latter of whom was preferred to Nat Jarvis who had to be content with a place amongst the substitutes. The South Londoners included defender Justyn Roberts, a player who had once donned the amber shroud here ever so briefly and they couldn’t be taken lightly; their demolition of Lincoln City in the last round a clear sign that they were able to mix it with full time opponents.
Luckily for County, they got off to a splendid start with an opening goal just four minutes in; Sam Foley thundering an unerring shot high into the net after a sweet flick had fallen kindly. From that point on, the hosts dominated with a second strike always looking likely. Carshalton’s German keeper, Nick Hamann was all that stood between Newport and a first-half rout as he saved well from Buchanan on nine minutes, followed by bravely blocking Foley’s effort three minutes later. It was Foley again who went close soon after; Hamann this time beating away a vicious drive before recovering in time to block the rebound too. On a rare foray forward, Laurent Hamici smashed a shot over Thompson’s crossbar on 29 minutes, before Hamann kept his team in it once again by saving superbly from Darryl Knights.
That second goal simply had to come however and it duly arrived on 35 minutes when Elliott Buchanan doubled Newport’s advantage. Lee Minshull released David Pipe down the right and his low cross was tucked home in true poacher style by the marauding Buchanan. It was the striker’s third goal in as many games; all of which have come from Pipe crosses coincidentally. As the interval loomed ever closer, Kennedy Adjei had a low shot whistle just wide for the Robins, whilst David Pipe cracked a 20-yard effort likewise just past the target for the Exiles; and County trotted off feeling rightly pleased with their impressive first-half shift.
Any lingering hopes Carshalton still harboured of getting back into this one all but evaporated just sixty seconds after the restart, when Newport had themselves a dandy third. From a swift, flowing attack, the ball was cleared to the edge of the box where Adam Chapman picked up the pieces before smacking a 20-yard daisy-cutter past Hamann and into the bottom corner. It was a goal on his full debut for the Oxford loanee and game over now surely? On 55 minutes, County looked to have scored a fourth; Darryl Knights’ effort was only parried by Hamann and the ball looked to have trickled well over the line in all fairness before being hacked clear. Amazingly the officials waved play on, although there were few complaints from the Exiles given the already comfortable score-line.
There could have been several more home goals; nobody coming closer than Elliott Buchanan who hit a super left-foot volley on the turn, only to see it bounce unluckily back off the bar. It would have been some goal too. That same piece of woodwork denied Chapman a second goal as well; as did the busy Nick Hamann who saved well from Knights, Foley and Baker. The icing on the cake arrived four minutes from time when debutant Romone Rose marked his Exiles bow with the best goal of the night. The winger had only been on the field twenty minutes when he danced inside a challenge on County’s left flank and belted a thunderbolt past Hamann and into the far corner from 25 yards. Cue broad smiles all around Spytty Park as the home faithful were finally able to turn those frowns upside down.