League Two: Red card helps Newport County beat Swindon 2-1

The Exiles took the spoils to end a six-game winless streak thanks to goals in the second half by Cameron Norman and debutant Calum Kavanagh.

Tomi Adeloye scored in added time but it was too late for 10-man Swindon, who played for 75 minutes with 10 men after Rushian Hepburn-Murphy’s red card for shoving Norman in the face.

Here are some talking points from Rodney Parade…

OFF: Swindon's Rushian Hepburn-Murphy is sent off at Newport County (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

RED MIST

Coughlan and counterpart Jody Morris were in agreement after the game, both felt Hepburn-Murphy’s dismissal was harsh.

It wasn’t.

Referee Neil Hair had no option but to show red after James Clarke was fouled, Norman charged in and then the Swindon man pushed him in the face.

Had yellow been shown and had County then failed to get victory it would have been interesting to hear if Coughlan’s view was different.

Yes, it was a soft sending off but such actions always lead to red in the modern game.

Norman was theatrical but he did exactly the right thing by staying down after the contact, making sure Mr Hair wasn’t tempted into a generous reprieve.

County needed the win and the moment of madness helped them achieve it.

SETTING THE TONE

County’s energy helped create the red card moment.

They showed real snap from the off to disrupt a Swindon side that build from the back and are dangerous when doing so.

With Aaron Lewis to the fore, the pressing was good throughout and the training graft was clear.

County had a game plan but it would have been a pleasant bonus for it to lead to a numerical advantage so early.

LIVELY: Newport County midfielder Harry Charsley puts Swindon's Jonny Williams under pressure (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

MORE TO COME

The dismissal makes it tough to judge but was this a first proper glimpse of a Coughlan and Joe Dunne County?

County had an enforced break because of a frozen pitch and Grimsby’s FA Cup run but they clearly didn’t just spend it just playing head tennis and showboating.

This was an encouraging display that mixed more enterprise in with the endeavour and the early signs are that the January signings will add to the squad.

Kavanagh got his goal off the bench after a lovely dummy and Aaron Lewis’ calm assist while Charlie McNeill showed some neat flashes along with one valuable League Two lesson when his shocker of a cross-field pass was picked off and got Priestley Farquharson booked.

However, it was permanent signing Harry Charsley that was the pick of the bunch and the clever midfielder looks likely to add some real threat in the final third.

He came through the ranks at Everton and he showed some Tim Cahill-esque timing with his runs into the box while he popped up in some promising positions and had three shots.

This was his first game since November and first start since October, so he understandably tired and looked a little rusty on occasions.

With Nathan Moriah-Welsh, one of the best performers of the campaign, having to settle for a place on the bench, things are looking up in midfield.

NERVY FINISH

It was a very positive afternoon but it still has to be pointed out that County made life needlessly hard for themselves.

Kavanagh’s goal should have been the end of it but the clean sheet was lost in added time after the Exiles switched off.

There was then an awful clearance by Nick Townsend and too much space for Swindon to get into some promising positions.

A reshuffle after Adam Lewis got cramp played a part, with Will Evans going back to the left wing-back position that he started the season in at Sutton, but it was also down to mindset.

“We ended up sinking, and I didn’t see a reason for that. We ended up sitting on the edge of our own box,” said Coughlan.

“That could be down to confidence, not winning games, tiredness after not playing for a couple of weeks.

“They are reasons, not excuses, and I wasn’t comfortable with the last 15 minutes. I didn’t like the way that we dropped deep and stopped pressing.

“But I have to say that tempo, energy and intensity levels that we played at throughout the game means you will probably always have a stage like that. We are a front-foot team and we are at our best when in people’s faces.”

WORK TO DO

Hartlepool’s win at Doncaster was a shame but County need to just take care of their own business and this was a fine start to a key month.

They have to back it up against Barrow – and they have lost there 2-1 on both occasions since the Cumbrians’ came up to League Two – and then it’s swiftly onto second-placed Stevenage and Michael Flynn’s Walsall.

Coughlan has said he is looking up the table and this performance, albeit against 10 men, suggests there is enough quality to stretch away from the relegation scrap.

The sooner they can do that the better, because the rest of us are still looking down and the drop zone is still too close for comfort.