Date   15th September 2007     Competition   Blue Square South     Attendance    853

Lineup   1 Phil Wilson     2 Liam Pestle      3 Darius Charles     4 John Scarborough     5 Lewis Gonsalves    =    6 Solomon Taiwo     7 Bashiru Alimi     8 Malik Buari    sub Greene 71   9 Warren McBean   10 Craig Watkins  sub Henry 71   11 Craig Tanner           12 Jason Henry     14 Ross Montague      15 Paul Honey     16 Nicky Greene     17 Gareth Williams

 Sutton found themselves with just Thurrock below them in the Blue Square South table on Saturday after what may have appeared a predictable defeat, but Newport didn't have it all their own way in protecting their unbeaten home record and were grateful that the failings that U's have shown this season in both penalty areas continued to haunt them. In terms of chances created U's matched their hosts but were unable to find a way past goalkeeper Glyn Thompson, while at the other end they will be disappointed with both goals that were conceded. U's were also not helped by the dismissal of Lewis Gonsalves for two bookable offences in quick succession at a point when, with chances either side of half time, they were looking as though they might have hopes of recovering the goal they had conceded in the first half. After his departure Newport were able to take charge and clinched the game twelve minutes from time. Solomon Taiwo and the fit again Bashiru Alimi were preferred in midfield to Paul Honey and Nicky Greene, while Craig Watkins and Darius Charles returned after injury and illness respectively and Liam Pestle replaced the injured Asher Hudson, and the midfield changes particularly seemed to work early on as Taiwo and Alimi won some good possession and U's created two early chances. Watkins sliced a shot wide after Taiwo had done well to set him up, and then after a superb Malik Buari cross had forced a corner, the ball fell to Craig Tanner 20 yards out and his low shot was well saved. Newport then began to have more of the game, and Richard Evans, who caught the eye with a lively performance on the left, cut in and hit a shot which Phil Wilson beat away. A neat right wing move then led to Jason Bowen's low cross being headed over by a stooping Julian Alsop, but the next link-up between the two proved decisive as Alsop headed Damon Searle's free kick back across goal and as U's defence stood still Bowen dived to head in by the post. Ian Hillier drilled a 25 yard free kick just wide as Newport threatened to take control, but U's replied with a free kick of their own from Taiwo that had Thompson scrambling to save, and from then until half time U's carved out some promising openings, with Watkins and McBean both having shots saved and Watkins also having penalty appeals turned down as he went over pursuing a deflected McBean shot. Straight after half time McBean battled through again but was crowded out and scuffed a shot wide, but the number of chances being created was still a cause for optimism that was dashed by the departure of Gonsalves. Booked for dissent, the defender tried the patience of referee Lee Swabey by delaying the return of the ball after being penalised a minute later, but received no such benefit of doubt soon afterwards when he tripped Craig Hughes and was shown a second yellow card that was slightly, but not outrageously, harsh. Newport took advantage and began to dominate, with Evans, who gave Pestle a difficult afternoon and seemed hard done by when defender Lee Jarman was named as the official man of the match, seeing one goalbound shot blocked and also having good shouts for a penalty turned away when he went over after a tangle with the pursuing Pestle. As U's struggled to stay in the game Buari and Taiwo were booked for fouls, Taiwo seeming very unlucky to be penalised for what looked a good tackle, and the home side nearly went further ahead when Alsop just failed to make contact with Bowen's low cross following a quick throw in. The burly striker injuried himself in the incident and was replaced by Charlie Griffin, and it was the substitute, having missed one chance when he sliced a chip wide, who put the game beyond U's when Charles and Wilson made a mess of dealing with what should have been a harmless ball over the top and allowed Griffin to evade them and roll the ball in from a narrow angle. U's own replacements had little joy, although Greene showed some neat touches, and even a late consolation goal eluded them as Jason Henry's low 20 yard shot was saved and McBean blasted wide in the last minute, again failing to match a fine run with the finish although he was also the victim of two dreadful offside decisions, one of which denied him an almost certain goal which would have set up an interesting last five minutes.

Newport team: G Thompson, S Jenkins, D Searle, N Davies, L Jarman, I Hillier, J Bowen, L Collier, J Alsop(sub C Griffin 63), C Hughes, R Evans. subs n/u M Dodds, L Fowler, J Simpson, M Ovendale. 
Goals: Bowen(21), Griffin(78).

Referee: L Swabey (Plymouth)

John Scarborough clears the ball.
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Darius Charles passes the ball.
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Warren McBean runs at a County defender.
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A Newport defender heads clear a threatening cross.
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McBean's shot is blocked by the lunging defender.
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Liam Pestle hooks the ball forward.
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