offside position. With the crowd baying
the officials allowed the goal to
stand.
County gave loan signing Tony Butler his
debut in defence alongside Stewart
Edwards. Matt Green was in the starting
line up partnering Nathan Blake up
front
County made the perfect start in front
of an expectant crowd, local hero Nathan
Blake heading home from close range
after only four minutes. Farnborough
made their possession in the mid-half
count and scored twice within ten
minutes to go in ahead at half time.
Jamie Whisken's looping header from
Richard Hodgson's free-kick deceived
everyone including home keeper Mark
Ovendale and crept in at the far
post. The away side then took the lead
with a classic counter-attack, Michael
Charles heading home from Paul Harkness'
pin-point cross from the left.
County had ample chances to
restore balance. Damon Searle thundered
a long range free kick against the post,
Jason Bowen blazed over from Richard
Evans' pull back and Kevin Scriven was
at full stretch to push away Nathan
Blake's cross shot from the path of the
on-rushing Matt Green.
County had the upper hand in the second
half. Matt Green forced Scriven to tip
his header onto the post before Bowen
equalised on the hour, patiently waiting
for the ball to drop before firing home
an assured volley. It was Bowen who put
County ahead from the spot after Sean
Hankin had brought down Ashley Williams.
Bowen had earlier forced a point-blank
save from Scriven from another delicious
Evan's cross and saw his
instinctive second effort on the rebound
go agonisingly wide.
Farnborough were a constant threat and
would not concede the match. Whisken got
his second goal of the night, slotting
home the loose ball on eighty minutes
from a poorly defended free-kick, before
the pacey Bradley Garness stole the show
and the points.
County have lost substantial ground
on leaders Histon and Salisbury and
despite being able to point to a long
list of injuries must play with more
concentration and composure if they are
to recover their form over the next two
crucial league matches.
Line Ups:
Newport: Ovendale, Thomas (Hughes 85),
Searle,©, Davies, Butler, Edwards,
Bowen, Williams, Blake (Alsop 81),
Green, Evans Subs Not Used: Prosser,
Toghill, Giles
Farnborough: Scriven, Pestle, Hankin ©,
Townsend, Whisken, Laidler, Pattison,
Pym, Hodgson, Charles (Garness 77) Harkness (Smith
88) Subs Not Used: Leonard, Alimi,
Venter
Goalscorers:
Newport: Blake (4) and Bowen (61 and
73 penalty)
Farnborough: Whisken (18 and 80),
Charles (26) and Garness (85)
Cautions:
Newport: Williams (foul) and Alsop
(foul)
Farnborough: Hankin (foul)
Officials:
Referee: Tim Ingram (Basingstoke)
Assistants: Allan
Jenkins (Weston-Super-Mare) and Adam
Ricketts (Bristol)
Attendance: 1030
Man of the Match:
Official County Man of the Match: Jason
Bowen
Reporter's County Man of the Match:
Richard Evans
Farnborough Man of the Match: Jamie
Whisken
Conditions:
Mild, light drizzle
Match Rating:
4/5
