One of the problems with an ever-changing line-up and two games per week is that time actually practising possible situations is at a premium. It’s fair to say that Matt Stowell will need to get responsibilities at defending set-pieces well up on the agenda, when he can get the squad together. Town’s first and fourth goal were identical, with the apparent lack of a previously nominated player dealing with a particular responsibility. At the other end the lack of a “goal sniffer” is also much in evidence. At least twice in this game a Holmer forward was presented with the ball by the opposing ‘keeper with the goal unguarded. On the first occasion the effort on goal went wide, on the second it was not even attempted!
Newport went ahead on five minutes. Holmer had a good chance to equalise five minutes later, but wasted it. The visitors doubled their lead on 20 minutes. This was a well-taken goal from 25 yards that caught The Greens’ defence napping. The nearest Holmer came to a goal before half –time was a Pawel Kotwica header at the far post, which was saved. Town struck the post on 42 minutes, but Holmer was not out of the game. HT 0-2
Any chance of a come-back was snuffed out on 53 minutes. And three minutes after that Pagnell scored a fourth, when a right wing cross was neatly hooked in by an unmarked visitor. With 10 minutes remaining a Newport player was sent off for something said. This produced a bizarre situation a few minutes later. On his way back to an early shower, the miscreant lobbed a “lost” ball back onto the pitch from behind the hedge while Holmer were on the attack. The law on restarting the game in such circumstances has apparently been “improved”, but it seemed that the visitors were not aware of this. An uncontested dropped ball was quickly switched to Khedive McIntosh, who smartly despatched it beyond the ‘keeper to make it 1-4. Before the final whistle Newport were again able to take advantage of poor Holmer play. This time the ball was quickly placed between the posts of the empty goal.

Team: George Hall, Kevin Mbevi, Aaron Barry, Bailey Page, Ben Booker, Khedive McIntosh, Matt Wooster ©, Josh Todd, Pawel Kotwica, Matt Hatt, Jethro Odumosu.
Substitutes Used: Harrison Holbrook, Liam Tyler, James Heady.
Substitute Not Used: Conor Stables.