County let Welling off hook - Match report County 2 Welling 2 (From South Wales Argus)

County let Welling off hook - Match report County 2 Welling 2

10:52am Monday 8th February 2010

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NEWPORT County squandered a two goal lead for the second time in seven days on Saturday, but maintained their outrageous advantage at the top of the Blue Square South.

Perhaps it speaks volumes that on a day when a below par County failed to close out a game they were controlling, not a single challenger in the Blue Square South was able to reduce their arrears behind the Exiles.

Lightening does apparently strike twice for the Amber Army, who capitulated for the second time in a week, unable to find a winner this time as they did at Bromley nine days ago.

Quite where these goals against are coming from is anyone’s guess.

The two conceded on Saturday were the first to be scored by an away side at Spytty in the Blue Square South since Weymouth’s leveller in a 1-1 draw, all the way back on September 16.

And having not conceded two goals in a single game since August 15 (in all competitions), it makes it all the harder to fathom how four goals have arrived in seven days.

The Exiles were searching for victory ahead of four successive away trips and will rue missing out, but this is a case where it’s more appropriate to credit the visitors than to debit the hosts.

Credit to Welling, the Wings well and truly clipped County’s and did so playing a brand of football I had forgotten existed in the Blue Square South.

This season at Spytty Park one tactic has existed for an away side, and that is to defend, defend, and defend. They normally do so with nine men behind the ball, two banks of four (or a bank of four and one of five) trying simply to stifle County and hold on for a point.

But Welling came to win and nearly did so, but for a last minute piece of heroics from Glyn Thompson, the visitors would have sneaked away with maximum points.

It would have been harsh on County to lose the contest, but there is no doubt the visitors were worthy of a point, using natural width to push the Exiles back.

Both wide men Danny Rose and Kerry Morgan were constantly on the back foot, having to track back to support Paul Bignot and Jamie Collins, the latter exposed badly again.

Collins has been superb since arriving at Newport, but both at Bromley and on Saturday, he looked every bit a midfielder playing as a left back.

Martyn Giles may well be getting the call to return to action sooner rather than later on present form.

However, just like last week where Collins didn’t perform at his best and delivered an assist for the winning goal, he went one better on Saturday, apparently setting County on their way with the first goal.

The word apparently is used because it is utterly impossible to decipher who got the finishing touch.

Rose whipped in a freekick from the right, the ball skidding through to where Collins may or may not have got the faintest of flicks, the ball landing perfectly in at the far post. One for the players to sort out.

The Exiles looked a menace at freekicks and went close again on 14 minutes when Gary Warren headed down to partner Chris Todd whose toe-poked effort trickled agonisingly wide.

County were vibrant and confident, Morgan lively and always in the action, shooting wide on 22 minutes before a Wayne Turk blaster was well held as the half wore on.

However, the visitors were continuing to try and press, breaking superbly on 25 minutes when only the bravery of Glyn Thompson denied Sam Hurrell what should have been an equaliser after a sweeping move developed after Collins dallied.

Just before the break County broke with similar style, Morgan, Sam Foley and Craig Reid combining, Reid’s cross perfect for Foley to finish, but goalkeeper Charlie Mitten denied him, turning the ball onto the post.

However, it didn’t take Newport long to get into their stride after the break, Bignot’s angled ball beautifully controlled by Reid who turned and found a perfect pass for Morgan who opened his body and slotted home across Mitten.

That was surely game, set and match to County, only for a shocking fightback to stun the Newport Stadium faithful.

Striker Tom Whitnell was the man, scoring first on 67 minutes, given space in the box to turn and curl home after Hurrell’s run.

He repeated the trick on 75 minutes, County failing to clear a routine corner and Whitnell blasting through a crowd for 2-2.

The Exiles should probably have killed off the game before than equaliser, but Mitten twice denied the excellent Reid and a superb County move saw a deep cross just evade Scott Rogers.

However, at 2-2 there was only one winner and it was credit to Thompson that County held on, the superb goalkeeper twice denying Andrew Pugh before a stunning stop to prevent Whitnell walking away with the match ball in the dying seconds, flinging himself low to his left from point blank range.

A tricky afternoon for the Exiles, who will have forgotten what Spytty Park looks like by the time they next return.

County: Thompson, Bignot, Collins, Turk, Warren, Todd, Rose, Rogers (Henry 70), Reid, Foley (Gilroy 70), Morgan Subs not used: Cochlin, Blackburn, Morris Welling: Mitten, Jenkinson, Obersteller, Day, Andrews, Parkinson, Fazackerley, Clarke, Whitnell, Pugh, Hurrell (Finn 82) Subs not used: Cutler, Bakare, Sambrook, Cracknell Booked: None (either side) Referee: Lee Collins (Woking) Attendance: 1,449 Argus star man: Tom Whitnell (Welling)

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