SATURDAY 18 AUGUST 2007
Blue Square South
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SATURDAY 18 AUGUST 2007 Blue Square South |
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The storm clouds were raging over Newport Stadium but there was a calmness to County’s performance as the challenge of relegated St Albans was easily brushed aside for our first victory of the season to leave the visitors at the foot of the table with no goals and just one point from three games.
Skipper Steve Jenkins cleared a Paul Bruce effort off the line in the seventh minute but apart from a brief interlude between the goals it was a one-sided encounter against a team without a few of its experienced players who may find more troubles ahead on this evidence. Julian Alsop forced a smart save from Nicky Eyre with a shot on the turn from 20 yards on the 17th minute before a throw-in possibly wrongly awarded in our favour set up the first goal. The ball screwed off a defender onto the head of ALSOP who placed it beyond the reach of Eyre.
The second was set up by the speedy Sam O’Sullivan who cut in from in a mazy run before unleashing a shot from 20 yards which Eyre dived full length to push into the path of the grateful JASON BOWEN who rarely turns down such gifts. Between those goals when the rain was at its most torrential, Lee Clarke missed the target with a header from close range, while Glyn Thompson made excellent saves to deny Ram Marwa and Hasim Deen.
From then on it was County all the way with St Albans scarcely able to offer a token challenge and if County’s lack of more goals was a minor concern, the authority of the performance offered considerable encouragement for the future. Craig Hughes, who will surely soon recapture his goal touch, was denied by Eyre on the stroke of half-time and the second half saw County at their most fluent.
Saints pop star full-back Junior Harvey was regularly beaten with embarrassing ease by Bowen and Alsop was revelling in the visitors’ defence’s inability to cope with his aerial presence. Jules was just wide with a couple of second half headers and there were good efforts from Hughes and substitute Charlie Griffin before Bowen hit the bar with three minutes remaining. Another crowd in excess of a thousand was particularly encouraging especially after the disappointing display against Maidenhead on Wednesday, and interest and confidence in the prospects of the club is probably at its highest since the demise of the old Newport County almost two decades ago.
Man of the Match: County: Julian Alsop (a towering presence). Man of the Match: Saints: Ram Marwa (strong first half display). |
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© Colin Jeremiah |
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