Chris Gadsby takes a look back at all the action from tonight's game...
at Rodney Parade as Crawley Town paid a visit to South Wales on the back of four defeats in a row. Newport on the other hand were full of confidence after securing their first win of the campaign against Carlisle United on Saturday afternoon.th against 24rdIt was 23
With both sides in the relegation zone at the start of the evening it was no surprise that very few chances developed in the early stages of the game although Newport had the best of the first ten minutes. They got their first corner after twelve minutes when Lenell John-Lewis headed Mark Byrne’s out-swinging corner goal wards but it was comfortably saved by Woodman in the Crawley goal.
The game then became very end to end, Joe Day made a good catch from a bullet of a shot from 30 yards to keep the scores level after a quarter of an hour. As the first half progressed Crawley came more and more into the game and began to look as though they may threaten the Newport goal although it was County who remained the more dominant side in the game.
Newport’s first significant chance came after 22 minutes when they got a free kick in a dangerous area after a bad foul. Mark Byrne delivered the in swinging cross but it was just over the head of John-Lewis and cleared away to safety. Crawley then continued the end to end nature of the game by going straight down the other end and firing just wide of Joe Day’s right hand post.
Crawley’s first significant chance of the half came after twenty five minutes when Young cut into the penalty area, but his left footed shot went well high and wide of the top corner of the net at which he was aiming. Newport continued to have the majority of the pressure but on several occasions lacked the final ball. Blackwood’s cross from the right on half an hour was over the head of John-Lewis.
As the first half reached its final ten minutes it was still goalless although it was still Newport who looked the most like scoring. Crawley had their chances, the majority of them coming from crosses which seemed to trouble the County defence much more than runs into the box, and the home fans were thankful when a number of free headers in the box went wide of the target.
Crawley took the lead on 36 minutes after Newport carelessly lost possession in their own half and that allowed Gwion Edwards to brilliantly find the top corner from twenty five yards past the outstretched arms of Joe Day. After the goal the Newport fans were getting anxious as their side desperately tried to find the equaliser before the break that everyone knew they deserved.
Once Crawley were in front however they looked so much more dominant and scored a second three minutes before half time with a second goal for Edwards, this time he was able to pick the ball up in the penalty area after Newport failed to clear their lines and after skilfully going past a couple of players, he was able to fire the ball low into the bottom corner to double the advantage.
HALF TIME: NEWPORT COUNTY A.F.C 0 – 2 CRAWLEY TOWN F.C
Crawley started the second half in much a similar way in which they finished the first, with Newport increasingly desperate to reduce the gap early in the second half. Their first chance of the half came after 53 minutes when Seth Nana Twumasi played a cross in from the right hand side that for a moment appeared as though the keeper might be troubled but he recovered enough to watch it go over the bar.
Joe Day was forced into a great save moments later when Crawley were let into the penalty area all too easily and had Rhys Murphy’s shot gone anywhere else other than straight at Day’s chest, it could easily have been 3-0 before the hour mark.
They did make it three just a minute after the hour mark when Matt Harrold was left all alone at the back post to head a ball back across the face of goal and into the corner of the net to put the game seemingly out of reach. Terry Butcher then made two changes with John-Lewis and Boden coming off being replaced by Aaron Collins and Alex Rodman in a move which appeared to show an intention to prevent any more goals.
County won a corner on seventy minutes after some nice work down the right hand side but it was cleared without challenge before Tom Owen-Evans produced some nice skill to beat one man but then failed to beat the second and Crawley were able to harmlessly clear away.
As the game ticked into the final quarter of an hour Newport charged forward and won a free kick 35 yards out just left of centre which Mark Byrne took right footed but straight into the wall and once again Crawley were able to clear their lines without any difficulty. Newport struggled with ball control all evening with several wayward passes and plenty of loose touches resulting in them rarely challenging the visiting goal, only one shot on target after 82 minutes.
Alex Rodman cut inside with five minutes to go and fired a left foot shot at goal but it was never troubling the goal keeper and went a few feet wide of the left hand post. His effort was greeted by ironic cheers from the Newport supporters who were rather hoping for a repeat of Saturday’s win at Carlisle, unfortunately this was not to be the case.
Crawley continued to come forward right into the dying moments and should have made it 4-0 after they were clean through on goal but the attempt from the tight angle went all the way across the face of goal. Newport County must now regroup before Saturday’s home fixture against Exeter City, Crawley have lifted themselves out of the relegation zone.
FULL TIME: NEWPORT COUNTY A.F.C 0 – 3 CRAWLEY TOWN F.C
Day, Barrow, John-Lewis (Collins 62’), Donacien, Twumasi, Blackwood, Boden (Rodman 62’), Owen-Evans, Partridge, Parselle (Elito 73’), Byrne (c)Newport County:
Subs: R. Taylor, Laurent, M. Taylor, Elito, Klukowski, Rodman, Collins
BodenBookings:
Woodman, Scales, Bradley (c), Edwards (Bawling 65’), Smith (Wallon 79’), Young, Harrold, Jenkins, Donnelly, Yoreth, Murphy (Deacon 76’)Crawley Town:
Wallon, Barnard, Preston, Fenelon, Bawling, Henderson, DeaconSubs:
Edwards 36’, 42’ Harrold 61’Goals:
Jenkins, DonnellyBookings:
Oliver LangfordReferee:
2137 (75 Away)Attendance:
Stats (Home : Away)
Shots 6 : 11
On target 3 : 6
Corners 3 : 5
Fouls 11 : 12