County
named
an
unchanged
line-up
from
the
visit
to
Dorchester
on
New
Year's
Day
with
the
exception
of
the
return
from
injury
of
Steve
Jenkins
in
place
of Shane
Brewer
at
left
back. The
game
was
in
doubt
until
an
hour
before
the
kick
off.
Once
the
rains
had
eased
referee
Paul
Norman
adjudged
that
the
heavy
pitch
was
playable
and
the
hosts
took
the
game
to
the
visitors
from
Cambridgeshire
from
the
first
whistle.
In
form striker
Julian
Alsop
signalled
his
intent
with
an
early
header
over
the
bar
before
putting
the
Exiles
ahead
in
the
14th
minute.
Alsop
rose
at
the
far
post
to
guide
home
Jason
Bowen’s
powerful
cross
past
the
despairing
hand
of
Lance
Key
into
the
top
corner. Within
five
minutes
County
had
doubled
their
lead.
Alsop’s
sublime
lay
off
set
Bowen
clear
of
the
last
defender and
he
slipped
the
ball
past
Key
and
inside
the
far
post
to
bring
the
crowd
to
their
feet.
Ian
Hiller
had
his
goal
bound
header
cleared
off
the
line
following
a
frantic
goal
mouth
scramble
and
Craig
Hughes
shaved
the
post
with
a
header
before
drawing
a
save
from
Key
at
full
stretch
with
his
curling
shot
from
twenty
yards.
Only
Neil
Kennedy
offered
any
threat
at
the
other
end
but
Mark
Ovendale
was
equal
to
his
two
efforts
on
goal.
Nathan
Davies
scored
the
pick
of
County’s
goals
a
minute
before
half
time
to
put
the
result
beyond
doubt.
Richard
Evans’
cross
was
cleared
by
the
Histon
defence
only
as
far
as
Davies
who
drove
an
unstoppable
shot
from
25
yards
out
which
nearly
burst
the
net
with
Key
a
bystander.
Histon
changed
to a
more
attacking
3-5-2
formation
with
a
double
substitution
early
in
the
second
half
but
fell
further
behind
just
before
the
hour
with
the
home
side
relentless
in
attack.
Jason
Bowen
won
a
penalty
and
dusted
himself
down
to
return
the
ball
down
the
middle
of
the
goal
past
Key. Craig
Hughes
scored
the
fifth
and
final
home
goal
twenty
minutes
from
time.
Ian
Hiller
returned
a
Richard
Evans
cross
into
the
box
with
an
overhead
kick
and
Hughes
was
the
first
to
react
to
nod
the
ball
down past
Key
at
the
far
post.
Histon
rallied
in
the
late
stages
and
the
irrepressible
Neil
Kennedy
was
finally
rewarded with
a
consolation
goal
three
minutes
from
time.
Captain
Ian
Cambridge
swung
a
corner
to
the
far
post
and
Kennedy
rose
the
highest
to
head
the
ball
in
underneath
the
bar.
Ovendale
then
made
a
great
diving
save
to
turn
Robbie
Nightingale’s
shot
over
the
bar
and
deny
the
visitors
a
further
goal
in
their
attempt
to
hide
their
blushes.
County
have
now
won
three
in a
row scoring
nine
and
conceding
one. Histon
will
not relish
the
return
trip
to
Newport
Stadium
next
Saturday
in
the
second
round
of
the
F A
Trophy.
Line
Ups:
Newport:
Ovendale,
L
Jenkins,
S
Jenkins,
Davies
(Garner
73),
Brough
©,
Hillier,
Bowen,
Collier,
Alsop
(Green
70),
Hughes,
Evans
Subs
Not
Used:
O’Sullivan,
Edwards,
Giles
Histon:
Key,
Haniver,
Jackman
(Hipperson
48),
Mitchell-King,
Langston,
Nightingale,
J
Kennedy,
Murray
(Andrews
48),
N
Kennedy,
I
Cambridge,
Knight-Percival
(Roberts
64)
Subs
Not
Used
A
Cambridge,
Okay
Scorers:
Newport:
Julian
Alsop
(14),
Jason
Bowen
(19
and
58
pen),
Nathan
Davies
(44)
and
Craig
Hughes
(70)
Histon:
Neil
Kennedy
(87)
Cautions:
Histon:
Matthew
Mitchell-King
(dissent)
Attendance:
1065
Officials:
Referee:
Paul
Norman
(Sherborne);
Assistants:
Richard
Corp
(Frome)
and
Mark
Pottage
(Wincanton)
Conditions:
Heavy
pitch
and
overcast
Man
of
the
Match
Official
County Man
of
the
Match: Jason
Bowen
Reporter's
County
Man
of
the
Match:
Richard
Evans
Reporter's
Histon
Man
of
the
Match:
Neil
Kennedy
Match
Rating:
4/5
