The Exiles are defeated in the Checkatrade Trophy by Swansea City at Rodney Parade.
The second group game of the Checkatrade Trophy saw Newport County face Swansea City in a match that would result in a definite exit from the competition for the losers. It was County who had the first couple of chances on goal when a cross come shot from Barnum-Bobb was diverted over the bar by Birghitti and the header from the resulting corner landed on the roof of the net.
The first quarter of an hour past without incident and the murmurs of the crowd talking amongst themselves could easily be heard around the ground. It was midway through the first half that the first great opportunity occurred and it came the way of the visiting Swansea as the cross from the left hand side found its target at the near post and the first time left footed shot cannoned off the post and then kindly rolled into Joe Day’s arms after it hit a County defender on the shin.
County’s next chance came in the 27th minute when Reece Grego-Cox luckily found the ball spinning to him on the edge of the penalty area and he fired a right footed volley towards goal but it swerved tamely away from the net. As the half hour mark came and went, still neither side looked like scoring and the game looked destined to go to half time goalless. Swansea took the lead though in the 35th minute when Botti Biabi was left alone at the back post, and following a cross from the left hand side, he was able to calmly knock the ball into the corner of the net past the outstretched Joe Day.
GOAL: NEWPORT COUNTY 0 – 1 SWANSEA CITY U21’S (BOTTI BIABI 36’)
Swansea continued to push forward and controlled the possession, having a number of shots on Joe Day’s goal although thankfully for Newport, none that troubled the County keeper. The first half entered added time with the visitors still leading by their solitary goal and although County had a couple of late free kicks they were unable to do anything with them and the teams went in at the break at 1-0.
HALF TIME: NEWPORT COUNTY 0 – 1 SWANSEA CITY U21’S
The first ten minutes of the second half once again passed without any notable incidents and it was thirteen minutes into the half before Joe Day was forced to make a significant save when Alexander Bray struck a right footed effort across the face of goal that Day had to dive away to his right to get two strong hands to.
It took 22 minutes for Newport to have a shot in the second half and Mark Birghitti was more than a match for the thirty yard effort from Jordan Green. Swansea never really looked threatened and unless Newport could get at least one goal they would be heading out of the Checkatrade Trophy despite still having the final group match against Wimbledon to come.
The game was put to bed three minutes from full time when Alexander Samuel controlled a long diagonal ball on the edge of the penalty area, turned with his right foot and curled a lovely left footed effort beyond Joe Day and into the top corner of the net.
GOAL: NEWPORT COUNTY 0 – 2 SWANSEA CITY U21’S (ALEXANDER SAMUEL 87’)
Five minutes of added time were to be played and Jennison Myrie-Williams gave County hope when he fired a shot from twenty five yards into the corner of the net to leave the Exiles only one goal behind.
GOAL: NEWPORT COUNTY 1 – 2 SWANSEA CITY U21’S (JENNISON MYRIE-WILLIAMS 90+2’)
Sadly for County though it wasn’t to be and the defeat means that whatever happens in the game against Wimbledon in November, the Exiles are out of the Checkatrade Trophy.
FULL TIME: NEWPORT COUNTY 1 – 2 SWANSEA CITY U21’S
Newport County: Day, Barnum-Bobb, Butler, Compton (Jackson 56’), Randall (Green 64’), Tozer, Bignot, Bennett (c) (Myrie-Williams 45’), Healey, Rigg, Grego-Cox
Subs not used: Bittner, Green, Parkin, Molyneux, Wood
Goals: Myrie-Williams 90+2’
Bookings: Randall
Swansea City U21’s: Birghitti, Reid, Kingsley, Mawson, Davies, Blair, Fulton, Byers (Maric 64’), Bray (Holland 84’), Samuel, Biabi
Subs not used: Zabret, Lewis, Dyson, Garrick, Plezier
Goals: Biabi 35’, Samuel 87’
Bookings: Blair, Fulton, Kingsley
Referee: Brett Huxtable
Attendance: 807 (118 away)