A NEWPORT County AFC squad made up almost entirely of trialists and youth team prospects were beaten 2-0 in their penultimate pre-season friendly at Barry Town United.

County started with six trialists and added four more from the bench at Jenner Park, but few of the hopefuls did enough to suggest they will be an asset in League Two this season.

Of the starting six one was in goal, one at left-back, two in midfield and two in attack.

Four were unidentified but the midfield pair were Ben Swallow in the middle and Zavon Hines wide on the left.

Tom Owen-Evans wore the captain’s armband alongside Swallow at the heart of midfield with Jazzi Barnum-Bobb at right-back attempting to link up with striker Aaron Williams, who was playing in an unfamiliar wide right role.

Completing the starting XI were youth team players Evan Press and Jay Foulston in central defence and the youngsters were caught out as Barry took an early lead.

Kayne McLaggan slid in to convert Chris Hugh’s cross from a yard out in the fourth minute.

Flynn’s men dominated possession thereafter without fashioning too many chances of note.

Owen-Evans had the best opportunity as he drove through the middle but his shot was well wide on 20 minutes.

At the other end Paul Morgan saw a fierce drive tipped over acrobatically by the Exiles trialist keeper after half an hour.

And it was 2-0 a minute later when McLaggan took advantage of a slip in the visitors’ defence to rifle a half volley into the top corner from close range.

Ex-West Ham United man Hines had the beating of Barry right-back Morgan and turned him inside out on several occasions.

And the Exiles should have had a goal back straight away as Hines sent in a tempting cross that one of his fellow trialists should have headed in on the line.

But they went in two goals down as the Welsh Premier League side demonstrated a greater cutting edge.

Two more trialists entered the fray for the second half, one of them was former Arsenal forward Sanchez Watt who had played at Chippenham Town last week.

Watt showed flashes of his undoubted talent wide on the right but the other half-time substitute was outshone by Swallow in central midfield.

Barry brought on Cwmbran’s Jamie Bird, who had played and scored for County at Undy on July 14.

Watt cut the ball back for Williams but the striker, who didn’t have the best of nights, saw his shot blocked by the legs of Barry goalkeeper Michael Lewis before he was replaced by academy star Momodou Touray.

Watt then sent in a fabulous cross from the left flank but Hines couldn’t get his head to it.

And it was almost 3-0 as Barry broke and saw a header hooked acrobatically off the line by the Exiles’ trialist left-back.

Hines, Watt and Touray showed impressive speed and power in attack, aided by lively youth team winger Tom Savigar, but they couldn’t get the goal their individual displays deserved.

County: Trialist 1, Trialist 2, Foulston, Press (Trialist 7, 46), Barnum-Bobb (Trialist 10, 79), Trialist 3, Trialist 4 (Trialist 9, 69), Owen-Evans, Williams (Savigar, 69), Trialist 5 (Trialist 8, 46), Trialist 6 (Touray, 69)

Sub not used: Bittner