PEGASUS JUNIORS 0 COUNTY 2

NEWPORT County AFC maintained their unbeaten record in pre-season with a 2-0 victory at Pegasus Juniors in Hereford last night.

Two second half strikes from Conor Washington, the second from the penalty spot, sealed the win in County’s penultimate friendly before beginning life in League Two.

Pegasus are now playing in the West Midlands Premier League, six levels below County in the football pyramid, but back in 1989 the clubs were equals.

This was a rematch of the Exiles’ first competitive match after reforming in the Hellenic League 24 years ago and they were given a warm welcome in the Herefordshire sun.

It couldn’t match the significance of that first encounter or the drama of the last visit to Hereford in March when Robbie Willmott sent 1,200 County fans mad with a last-minute winner at Edgar Street.

As promised, however, manager Justin Edinburgh fielded a side with a good mixture of youth and experience with Ismail Yakubu taking the captain’s armband.

He was joined in defence by Ryan Jackson, Andrew Hughes and youth team star Ellis Redman in the back four in front of young goalkeeper Conor Christie.

Right-back Jackson has still not completed his move from Macclesfield Town but is expected to do so within the next few days.

The midfield three was an inexperienced one with Lewis Jones, Lewis Holmes and Omar Behaldeen all getting a start.

But there was plenty of guile up front with Danny Crow and Conor Washing-ton joined by triallist Ryan Doble.

It was probably Doble’s last chance to impress Edinburgh and the Blaenavon-born striker produced some nice touches, but whether he has done enough to earn a permanent deal at Rodney Parade remains to be seen.

Crow hit the post with a header in the visitors’ only real chance of a low key first half.

But Washington opened the scoring with the first chance of the second period, converting Crow’s cross just a minute after the break.

Keith Jones headed a glorious chance over the bar for the hosts soon afterwards and substitute Kane Kahaki headed wide from a corner.

But Edinburgh’s men secured another win thanks to Washington’s penalty with 20 minutes remaining after Hughes had been chopped down in the area.

Now only Aston Villa await at Rodney Parade on Sunday afternoon before the big kick-off at home to Accrington Stanley on August 3.

Pegasus: Vivian, Craig, Hart, Allam, Brimble, Price, Jones, Sobocinski, Mortlock, Hyde

County: Christie, Jackson, Yakubu, Hughes, Redman, Holmes, Jones, Behaldeen, Doble, Crow, Washington

Subs: Stephens, Worley, Simoto, Victory, Brooks, Wood