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MATCH REPORT: Hartlepool United 1-2 Newport County

12 November 2021

Club News

MATCH REPORT: Hartlepool United 1-2 Newport County

12 November 2021

Dom Telford's header in second-half stoppage time earned Newport County their third league win on the spin.

Courtney Baker-Richardson gave County the lead just after the half-hour mark but David Ferguson equalised in the 63rd minute with a free-kick.

Who else but Telford though to pop up in the dying seconds to guide a header into the bottom right corner to send the 114 hearty soulds who travelled to Hartlepool on a Friday night into absolute delirium.

Hartlepool had the first shot at goal of the game, but Pools skipper Nicky Featherstone cleared the crossbar with an attempt from inside the box on the two-minute mark.

Our first shot of the game meanwhile came from Swansea loanee Oliver Cooper who struck narrowly wide of the far post with a half-volley from the edge of the box.

The game's first shot to trouble a goalkeeper went County's way with midfielder Finn Azaz having a strike well palmed behind for a corner by Hartelpool keeper Ben Killip after some lovely build-up play by the men in Amber.

A mis-hit Azaz half-volley then skimmed off the head of Baker-Richardson and wide before October Player of the Month for League Two Dom Telford attempted a cheeky chip from the edge of the box which caught out Killip but dropped onto the top of the net.

Reagan Ogle headed over the bar from a corner from the hosts before Azaz warmed the gloves of Kilip again with a long-range side-footed strike that was grabbed with relative ease.

Kilip could do nothing to stop County taking the lead just after the half-hour mark though when Baker-Richardson powered home a header from Matt Dolan's right-sided corner to make it 1-0 to Newport.

The first-half petered out after the goal with the mood around Victoria Park dropping significantly.

It picked up again over the half-time break though and Maty Daly volleyed narrowly over the bar four minutes after the restart and two minutes later Luke Molyneux dragged a good chance wide of the far post. 

Hartlepool's second half momentum continued when David Ferguson struck a free-kick narrowly wide of Joe Day's right-hand post as the hosts piled on the pressure.

And the pressure told on 63 minutes when Ferguson bent in a free-kick with his left foot to level the score.

County almost responded three minutes later but Cooper sent a half-volley over the bar after a Mickey Demetriou long throw was headed into his path by the Pools backline.

Telford also came close to restoring the County lead with 15 minutes to go but his volley on the turn went wide of the right-hand post after a lovely dinked pass from Azaz to set him up.

With 11 minutes remaining, Ed Upson became the latest County man to fire an effort wide with his half-volley sailing wide of the far post after Haynes' cross from the left was only headed as clear as the midfielder.

County's late pressure finally told though when man of the moment Telford popped up in second-half stoppage time to guide a header into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box.

Hartlepool United: Ben Killip, Reagan Ogle, Neill Byrne, Gary Liddle, Zaine Francis-Angol, David Ferguson, Nicky Featherstone (C), Mark Shelton (Mike Fondop '80), Maty Daly, Luke Molyneux, Mark Cullen (Joe Grey '74)

Subs not used: Jonathan Mitchell, Timi Odusina, Tom Crawford, Martin Smith, Luke Hendrie

Newport County: Joe Day, Cameron Norman, Ryan Haynes, Ed Upson, James Clarke, Matt Dolan (C), Courtney Baker-Richardson (Kevin Ellison '86), Finn Azaz, Dom Telford, Mickey Demetriou, Oliver Cooper (Jake Cain '71)

Subs not used: Nick Townsend, Alex Fisher, Aaron Lewis, Timmy Abraham, Christopher Missilou


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