OH, THEY do like to be beside the seaside! Newport County AFC fans got a free shirt, welcomed back an old face and saw their team earn a comprehensive victory in a pre-season friendly at Weston-super-Mare.

County finally revealed their new kits, which will have no sponsor in a tie-up with bookmakers Paddy Power and their Save Our Shirt campaign, before the match.

And all fans attending the friendly at The Optima Stadium were handed a free home shirt and they saw the team wear the new design for the first time, although the proper kit will have black shorts and black socks.

There was a treat for long-standing fans as 2010 promotion hero Sam Foley started the match, listed as Trialist 1 on the team sheet.

Foley is a free agent after being released by League Two rivals Northampton Town in May and is hoping to secure a deal with the Exiles, seven years after he left the club for Yeovil Town.

The 32-year-old showed that he still has plenty to offer, going close to scoring on a couple of occasions and always looking classy on the ball.

And a strong County team demonstrated their ruthless side as they put their Southern League opponents to the sword with some clinical finishing.

Joss Labadie lashed home the first through a crowded penalty area on 18 minutes and Padraig Amond headed in the first of his two goals from George Nurse’s cross on 36 minutes.

Man mountain Kyle made it 3-0 two minutes before the break when he nodded in from Matty Dolan’s corner.

South Wales Argus:

Weston substitute Isaac Pearce forced the first real save from Exiles goalkeeper Tom King on 53 minutes but it was one-way traffic once again after that.

Nurse drove forward down the left and crossed for Amond to slide in his second on the hour.

It was 5-0 nine minutes later when the exciting Corey Whitely saw a fierce effort deflected beyond blameless goalkeeper Niall Maher, who actually had a decent game for the hosts.

A raft of subs made no difference to the flow of the game as Momodou Touray released Keanu Marsh-Brown and the winger, who looked like he had a point to prove, finished smartly to make it 6-0 on 75 minutes.

Touray then squared for fellow sub Josh Sheehan to slot in a seventh a minute later before Sam Hendy netted a consolation for Weston.

And Touray got the goal he deserved three minutes from time, tapping in from Marvel Ekpiteta’s cross to complete the rout.

County: King; Willmott (Ekpiteta, 63), Howkins, Demetriou (O’Brien, 70), Nurse (Stojsavljevic, 63); Whitely (Marsh-Brown, 70), Labadie (Bennett, 55), Dolan (Sheehan, 46), Trialist 1 – Foley (Trialist 2, 63); Amond (Trialist 3, 70), Matt (Touray, 70)

Sub not used: Brain