Jacob Giles returned to the side and Kris Leek was recalled to start alongside Lee Collier at the centre of the midfield with both Nathan Davies and Darren Garner sidelined with groin strains.
Histon applied all the early pressure. Nathaniel Knight-Percival eluded Steve Jenkins on the right side of the box and screwed his angled shot fractionally wide of goal. Adrian Cambridge’s header across goal from Drew Roberts’ corner was cleared off the line at the far post by the alert Damon Searle.
As the first half wore on so the pendulum swung in County’s favour. Lance Key’s rushed clearance fell to Julian Alsop 35 yards out from goal and his audacious lob bounced marginally wide of the target with the away fans behind the goal willing the ball to land inside the net. From County’s most fluent move of the half Craig Hughes laid the ball off to Jason Bowen who stepped inside his marker and unleashed a rising shot from 16 yards. Lance Key had to be at his best to parry the shot away for a corner before Craig Hughes had the final effort of the half, volleying over from an angle after from forward accomplice Alsop’s aerial knock-down.
County were forced to reshuffle at half-time. Ian Hillier had not recovered from a boot to the face in the first half and was taken to hospital as a precaution; Kris Leek did not reappear having suffered a knee injury on the stroke of half-time. Stewart Edwards came on as right back with Steve Jenkins switching to centre-half, and Matt Green played on the right side of midfield with Jason Bowen switching to centre midfield.
Richards Evans’ diagonal cross two minutes after the restart beat the surprised Key and landed on the topside of the bar. County maintained their momentum and finally made the break through on 67 minutes. Craig Hughes played a long forward ball into the path of pacey substitute Matt Green who rode the first tackle and beat the onrushing Key to poke the ball into the net.
The away goal seemed to galvanise a determined Stutes’ side who dominated the last twenty minutes and played excellent fluent and attacking football.
County failed to defend a lofted free-kick and the ball fell to Antonio Murray who finished easily from six yards to draw the sides level. Within ten minutes of Green’s opener the home side were ahead. Knight-Percival received the ball in the centre circle on a break away attack and set Murray clear on the right with the defence racing back to cover. Murray’s pinpoint low cross to the far post was swept home by the glee Neil Kennedy.
County’s misery was complete four minutes from time. Jacob Giles had no option but to rush out of goal and beat down the goal bound lob of Neil Kennedy. Giles had drifted outside of his area and referee Matt Stewart had no choice but to brandish the red card. Substitute keeper Mark Ovendale’s first touch of the ball was to pick it out of the net, Matthew Haniver having curled the free-kick around and over the wall for the third and final goal.
Histon now have their eye on a home tie in the third round of the Trophy whilst County must set their sights on a winning run in the league to stay with the pace-setters.
Line Ups:
Newport: Giles, S Jenkins, Searle (Ovendale 85), Leek (Green 46), Brough (C), Hillier (Edwards 46), Bowen, Collier, Alsop, Hughes, Evans Subs Not Used: O’Sullivan, Toppar
Histon: Key, Haniver, Okay, Mitchell-King, Hipperson, A Cambridge, Andrews (C) (J Kennedy 64), Roberts (N Kennedy 64), Murray, Barker, Knight-Percival Subs Not Used I Cambridge, Coulson
Scorers:
County: Matt Green (67)
Histon: Antonio Murray (73), Neil Kennedy (77) and Matthew Haniver (86)
Dismissals:
County: Jacob Giles (handball outside the penalty area)
Attendance:
485
Officials:
Referee: Matt Stewart (Harwich)
Assistants: John Scott (Buckingham) and Kevin Theobald (Sudbury)
Man of the Match:
Official Histon Man of the Match: Antonio Murray
Reporter’s Histon Man of the Match: Adrian Cambridge
Reporter’s County Man of the Match: Steve Jenkins
Conditions:
Dry, cold, dry and flat playing surface
Match Rating:
4/5
