County 0 Leeds 1

IF not quite living up to Kevin Stephens’ claim that they are a Football League club in waiting, Newport County showed signs on Saturday that this will be a season to remember.

The new-look Exiles put in a hugely encouraging display against League One Leeds United, who included several first-team regulars, and can count themselves unfortunate to lose to Nathan Cartman’s solitary goal five minutes from time.

In the first half in particular, County produced moments of inspired attacking football with Adie Harris, Danny Rose and strikers Rob Duffy and Jamal Easter combining brilliantly.

The enthusiasm of the 1,041-strong crowd will have been tempered slightly by some shakiness in defence early on, but Ian Hillier and co will not come up against players of the quality of Tresor Kandol and Seb Carole every week.

Another concern will be the lack of goals – for all County’s fluid passing moves Jonny Lund in the Leeds goal hardly had a save to make in the 90 minutes – but with Easter becoming Dean Holdsworth’s 13th signing of the summer, and the fourth striker, it’s understandable that the new recruits will take time to gel completely.

With so many options, particularly up front, it’s debatable whether even Holdsworth is certain of his first choice XI for next Saturday’s Blue Square South opener against AFC Wimbledon.

Against Leeds, in his final warm-up game, the former Wimbledon striker went with a 4-4-2 formation from the start with Hillier as captain alongside Martyn Giles in central defence and Stephens and David Collins either side.

Harris and Nathan Davies continued their burgeoning partnership at the heart of the midfield, with the outstanding Rose on the left and a slightly subdued Kevin Cooper down the right.

In attack Duffy and Easter were preferred to Phil Walsh, Paul Hall, Chris Hartland and Craig Hughes, who will miss the opening two league games through suspension.

Duffy enjoyed a bright start, setting up Cooper for a crack at goal as early as the third minute, but Leeds took the early initiative with Kandol heading inches past the near post from a corner after just 75 seconds and pouncing on a Stephens error to fire wide again a minute later.

Tom Elliott then had a goal-bound effort blocked by Hillier 10 yards out and Carole’s long-range scorcher had Glyn Thompson scrambling for his far post as the visitors threatened to run riot.

Then came County’s best spell of the match, which started with Giles playing a long ball out of defence to Rose on the right wing.

At full stretch he fired in what looked like a cross but the ball cannoned off the angle of post and bar, and from the resulting move County almost took a surprise lead.

Duffy and Easter showed quick feet to bamboozle the Leeds defence and work an opening for Harris, who side-footed wide with the goal at his mercy.

Their confidence high, County set about keeping the ball with some of the best passing football seen at Spytty Park for quite some time.

Having tempted fate by running out to Robbie Williams’ Let Me Entertain You after the break, it was perhaps inevitable that the second half would be something of a let-down in comparison.

Hall, Hughes and Walsh replaced Cooper, Duffy and Easter just after the hour, with Rose switching to the right in what looked like a 4-3-3 formation but was almost 4-2-4 at times, such was the freedom given to the former Manchester United trainee.

He almost gave County the lead when stooping to head a Hall cross goalwards, but was then replaced by Richard Evans, who crossed for Walsh to head over the top on 81 minutes.

It looked as if both sides had settled for a draw but Leeds substitute Chris Ovington had other ideas, getting past Collins on the right and setting up Cartman to hammer home off the crossbar from six yards for the winner.

It was tough on Holdsworth’s men but, as the manager said, they will take heart from their performance against quality opposition and confidence for an exciting season ahead. Roll on Saturday!

County: Thompson, Stephens, Collins (Keddle, 76), Davies (Wring, 79), Hillier, Giles (Skelton, 76), Rose (Evans, 71), Harris (Church, 68), Duffy (Walsh, 61), Easter (Hughes, 61), Cooper (Hall, 61).

Subs not used: Blackburn, Hartland.

Leeds: Lund, Darville, White (Falkingham, 87), Hotchkiss, Webb (Wilkinson, 61), Milne, Carole (Jones, 76), Cartman, Elliott, Kandol (Hatfield, 79), Westlake (Ovington, 68).

Sub not used: Edwards.

Ref: Derek Eaton.

Att: 1,041.