Debut hat-trick for Oliver McBurnie gives County first home win of the season....
It was cold, wet and windy at Rodney Parade for Newport’s clash with Luton Town, with Newport hoping to increase the gap between themselves and the bottom two. New signing Oliver McBurnie was on the bench, County were searching for an unbeaten November.
Newport had a lot of the early possession and nearly scored the opener when Alex Rodman crossed into the penalty area looking for Lenell John-Lewis but he was unable to win the header in the box and it got turned away. It was a very slow first half the wind made it extremely difficult for either side to really put some play together, the ball skidding off the surface and constantly running through to the goalkeepers for goal kicks.
Luton forced a great save from Joe Day in the 12th minute when Green hit a shot from twenty yards that meant Day had to dive away to his left and palm the ball behind for a corner. Newport then managed to get some great link up play resulting in John-Lewis having a shot in the box but he slipped as he took the shot and it went very tamely wide of the right hand post.
HALF TIME: NEWPORT COUNTY 0 – 0 LUTON TOWN
Luton had the first chance of the second half after some good link up play coupled with Newport’s inability to get the ball off the midfielders allowed them some space on the edge of the area, but Danny Green’s shot was well over the bar. They then had a free kick 25 yards out which was fired in by Green aiming for the bottom corner but it was blocked on the penalty spot.
Newport’s first chance came after some brilliant footwork from Tommy O’Sullivan released Medy Elito down the left hand side and his cross was driven in towards the six yard box but the outstretched leg of Lenell John-Lewis fell just short of where it was needed and Tyler was easily able to cover the ball up.
A debut goal was next. Oliver McBurnie popped up in the six yard box to convert from Medy Elito’s cross after a quick free kick caught the visitors out. McBurnie was only five minutes into his Newport debut when he slotted the ball with the outside of boot underneath the arm of Mark Tyler.
GOAL: NEWPORT COUNTY 1 – 0 LUTON TOWN (OLIVER McBURNIE 68’)
Newport looked dominant from the moment that goal went in. With the crowd in good voice the players surged forward and debutant McBurnie nearly cause their second when he did brilliantly to win the ball on the touchline and turn into the penalty area, only for Klukowski’s touch to be over hit and the ball ran away from them.
Newport grabbed a second when Alex Rodman’s long range shot from thirty yards was parried by the keeper and McBurnie again popped up from two yards out with the simplest of tap ins to give himself a brace for the afternoon and double Newport’s lead.
GOAL: NEWPORT COUNTY 2 – 0 LUTON TOWN (OLIVER McBURNIE 78’)
A hat-trick for a debutant coming on as a substitute, not something seen every week. A mistake by Mark Tyler left Newport in on goal with no defenders around them and Boden squared the ball along the penalty spot line for McBurnie to have the easiest of tap ins in front of goal to complete his hat trick in seventeen minutes and sealing the game for the Exiles.
GOAL: NEWPORT COUNTY 3 – 0 LUTON TOWN (OLIVER McBUNDIE 85’)
Newport ran rampant in the last ten minutes of the game, Luton Town barely getting the ball and the players looking as though they were having immense fun on the pitch.
The game ticked into the three minutes of added time with the fans happy, the players happy and John Sheridan looking immensely happy. The win was exactly what Newport needed ahead of the FA Cup fixture against Barnet and will now go into it full of confidence.
FULL TIME: NEWPORT COUNTY 3 – 0 LUTON TOWN
Newport County – Day, Elito, Klukowski (O’Sullivan), Ansah (McBurnie), John-Lewis (Boden), Hughes, Bennett, Partridge, Rodman, Barnum-Bobb, Byrne (c)
Subs not used: Green, Taylor, Holmes, Barrow, Boden
Goals: McBurnie (3)
Luton Town: Tyler, Smith, Cuthbert (c), Lawless, McGeehan (Doyle), Green, Griffiths, Marriott, Lee (McCourt), McQuoid (Mackail-Smith), Wilkinson
Subs not used: Justham, Okuohnghae, Long, Hall