SATURDAY 26 APRIL 2008

Blue Square South

This match proved to be the swansong of the Peter Beadle era as manager of Newport County, and if his parting will be remembered by a sense of disappointment at missing a play-off place, this report acknowledges the huge strides forward the club made under his control.  It is said that the only certainty of a manager’s job is that it will end in the sack, and the arrival of the P45 usually coincides with failure.  In Beads’ case it was only the failure to achieve promotion which proved his undoing, and, having inherited a side at the bottom of the league, he must be thanked for his efforts, determination and enthusiasm for Newport County during his time in charge.  He left the club in a much better position than he found it in October 2005 and he is wished well in the future.

For the second year in succession, a season’s best league crowd turned up at Spytty Park ready to raise the roof and cheer the club to the play-off place that would certainly have been theirs with a victory.  In contrast to 12 months ago however, when County went into the last game on the back of a successful run of results, this time there was a fear of failure as form had deserted the Exiles.  Since the historic success in the FAW Premier Cup, County have played seven home games and gained just four points.  If just one of the five defeats at Newport Stadium in this spell had been reversed, the top five place would have been assured!

Fisher had been soundly beaten when County visited them in their Dulwich lodgings last October and the level of support for the visitors underlined the huge differences between the clubs.  Fisher struggle to attract 200 home spectators and this vital match only persuaded around half a dozen to travel to Newport.  County finished the season with average attendances topping a thousand, and the M4 would have carried quite a convoy if the venue had been reversed!  All the more credit goes to manager Wayne Burnett and his Fisher players who thoroughly deserved their win in Wales.

If the crowd was feeling nervous at County’s complete collapse in form at Fortress Spytty, they did their best to conceal it with a wall of sound in an opening quarter of an hour in which their heroes took the game to Fisher.  It has to be said that the visitors coped well with the early pressure with good defensive organisation which afforded plenty of protection to a nervous looking young keeper in Chris Lewington.  County’s first blow came then with a magnificent tackle from Damon Searle which left the veteran left-back writhing in agony with a suspected hamstring tear.  He was taken off on a stretcher to warm applause from a crowd who chanted his name in appreciation of his efforts for the amber cause.

With a ready-made replacement in 19 year-old Matt Smith on the bench, it appeared that County could cope but the game took two hugely decisive strides in Fisher’s favour on the half-hour.  First Nathan Davies stretched for a tackle and fouled Kieran Murtagh to enable ANDRE McCOLLIN to give Fisher the lead from the penalty spot, then before play could resume, the unlucky Smith became the second left-back to leave on a stretcher.  The early prognosis is that it could be a serious knee injury, which would be desperately unfortunate because Matt had previously overcome a cruciate ligament injury while with Cardiff City.

Richard Evans, who had played a season at left-back for Moor Green some years ago while he was on loan from Birmingham City, had to switch to defensive duties while Lee Fowler slotted into midfield.  County huffed and puffed without looking particularly threatening while Shaun Batt picked up a yellow card for a raised boot when he attempted to take the ball off Jason Bowen.  Just before the interval County substitute keeper Tony Pennock was sent to the stands, apparently for remarks to the assistant referee which might have been better left unsaid.

Half-time scores elsewhere indicated that a draw might prove sufficient for both sides but there was never going to be any collusion and in the 52nd minute impressive striker McCOLLIN struck a deadly blow.  He first turned Mark Dodds just outside the penalty area and was fouled, for which the County defender was cautioned, and then he struck the free-kick sweetly past Glyn Thompson.  This accelerated the introduction of County substitute Jermaine Clarke about 15 minutes earlier than usual, but by now Fisher were looking the more accomplished side, though they were not helped by Batt’s one man mission to intimidate any County player who showed skill on the ball.  He lunged at Bowen near the halfway line leaving referee Matthew McLoughlin little option but to show a second yellow card, and give County a glimmer of hope by reducing Fisher numbers.

Far too often lately, County matches have degenerated at some point into a petulant brawl, and this game followed that unfortunate pattern after a foul by Evans in front of the dugout.  Most of the participants decided to add their weight, though no blows appeared to be struck and the referee eventually showed yellow cards to both Evans and Fisher defender Gavin Dayes before play could resume.  10-man Fisher continued to look the better side though County gained a late consolation when midfielder Andy Gurney scored for the fourth successive game after Clarke had won a header from a long Ian Hillier throw-in.

Man of the Match

County: Andy Gurney (Kept going to the end, and seven goals from midfield is a magnificent return from 15 games)

Fisher: Andre McCollin (Pace and movement unhinged the County defence)

Special mention: The County fans whose support was superb.  For the second successive game, opponents were given a great ovation at the end, and this speaks volumes for their sportsmanship.

© Newport County AFC