NEWPORT COUNTY AFC

The windy conditions in North-London hindered both teams in the opening stages, making a direct style of play difficult, with the strong swirling wind inside the stadium affecting the flight of the ball. 

The Exiles settled into the conditions the better of the two sides and looked confident playing short-passes through midfield, utilising both Medy Elito and Alex Rodman on the opposing flanks.   

The first chance of the afternoon fell to Lenell John-Lewis inside the opening ten minutes, when the striker found himself with room inside the hosts area to shoot, but dragged his effort past the right-hand post.

Alex Rodman looked keen to provide width for the Exiles down the right-wing and looked dangerous cutting in from the touchline. An early curled cross from the winger was met by Tommy O'Sullivan, who saw his close-range header excellently saved by Jamie Stephens.

Scott Boden looked lively on his return to the starting eleven, often dropping deep to get involved with the play and played a perfectly executed through ball to set up Alex Rodman, which allowed the midfielder to test Jamie Stephens, as the game neared the twenty minute-mark.

Just before the break The Exiles had a golden opportunity to go into half-time leading. After the ball ricocheted around the hosts area, it eventually dropped kindly for Lenell John-Lewis, who blazed his volley over the crossbar and the tie remained goalless going into the break. 

The deadlock was broken just before the hour mark, when a teasing cross from the left by Andrew Hughes was glanced towards goal by Scott Boden. The header seemed to hang in the air for an age, before clipping the post and falling into the net, sparking celebrations from the traveling County fans.

After the goal County had to withstand a period of pressure from the hosts, with Kevin Lisbie firing a volley from inside the County area narrowly over the crossbar, just five minutes after Boden's goal.

With just fifteen minutes left in the tie, in-form striker Lenell John-Lewis controlled a bouncing ball brilliantly on the edge of the area and fired a low-volley towards goal that was pushed past the post by former County 'keeper Jamie Stephens.

Into the final ten minutes and County had a late opportunity to double their lead when a driven cross from Alex Rodman was touched towards goal by Lenell John-Lewis, but his attempt took a slight deflection behind for a corner.

The Exiles saw out the game professionally and once the whistle was blown for full-time, the County players and management made their way to the away support to celebrate the win the traveling fans.