To a back beat of incessant, almost inane drumming St Albans City stumbled their way through to the 4th Round of the FA Umbro Trophy on Saturday at the expense of a Newport County side which will spend several days ruing a succession of wasted chances which contributed greatly to the demise of the Welsh club.
County unquestionably dominated the possession of a disappointing encounter but their finishing was woeful as opposed to a glorious strike by the on loan Barnet forward Ben Strevens which secured the Saints third scalp of a Dr Martens League club in this seasons competition. That said, Strevens 20 yard first time effort, following a knock down by the returning Amara Simba, had an element of good fortune about it as the shot appeared to be going narrowly wide until striking a divot some six yards from goal which lifted it high inside Pat Mountain's right hand post.
In front of a very vocal and sizeable away support, Newport made a bright start befitting a side which has been in good form of late having lost just one of its past ten league games. Inside five minutes a slip by the City captain Richard Goddard let in Carl Dale but his square pass across the penalty area went to waste, within 40 seconds City counter-attacked in style with Strevens sweeping the ball home only to be hauled back by an offside flag.
City made light of that blow and in the 13th minute the elegant 20 year-old struck the decisive blow with his third goal in as many games. Newport retaliated by wasting no time in seizing the initiative and five minutes later a wonderful effort from 30 yards by Matt Rose had City keeper Richard Hurst retreating with the sun in his eyes and relieved to see the ball dip a few inches over the crossbar. As the half progressed it was Newport who, by dominating the middle of the park, continued to look the more threatening but both Dale and Nathan Davies failed to test Hurst when well placed.
County, though, should have drawn level four minutes from the break when Dale appeared to jump into Hurst following Rose's high ball into the penalty area. Bizarrely referee Mr Garrett saw no offence as the ball was wrestled from Hurst's grasp but the official was spared an uproar as the Exiles leading scorer Garry Shephard stroked the loose ball over the bar.
The second half continued in much the same vein as the first with City playing more like an away side hoping to catch the opposition on the break. To a degree the scheme - it can hardly be described as a plan as Newport's dominance dictated City's play - worked with Simba's neat touch and Strevens running, aided by Spencer Knight's growing influence down the left, keeping the visitors defence on their toes even if Mountain was little but a spectator.
Midway through the half a clean strike from well outside the penalty area by Chris Bale looked destined for the corner of the net until Hurst's finger tips saved the day. City's best hope of increasing their lead was offered by positive runs through the middle of the park by substitute Chris Piper but twice the transfer listed midfielder carelessly lost possession on the edge of the box when unmarked team-mates were well positioned either side of him.
During the latter stages Newport threw practically everyone forward and City defended in ever growing numbers to bolster the staunch resistance supplied by Ryan Moran and Goddard. The impression that this was to be City's day was cemented on 77 minutes when the home goal survived an amazing scramble. Hurst fumbled a low shot from Raith Plant, Gary Thorne's follow up was blocked, as was at least one other attempt until the ball rolled loose to Rose who summed up the Exiles day by drilling it high over the Hatfield Road goal.
Having repelled Newport's most sustained period of pressure City saw out the final moments by frustrating the visitors with a game of keep-ball close to a corner-flag.
Report by Dave Tavener |
