Coughlan: Newport County hit by penalty shocker in Eastleigh draw

The League Two Exiles will head to Hampshire for a third-round replay after being wasteful against their National League opponents at Rodney Parade.

County failed to take a raft of opportunities before the Spitfires were reduced to 10 men in the 38th minute after an elbow by George Langston on Harry Charsley.

Coughlan’s side took the lead 10 minutes after the restart through James Clarke from a corner but the centre-back conceded a penalty in the closing stages.

Referee Ed Duckworth deemed that he had dragged Paul McCallum down and Chris Maguire slammed in from the spot in the 82nd minute.

“It was a shocker,” said Coughlan. “It was based around the first-half decision to send their centre-half off, but he should have been sent off the first time [for a foul on Will Evans].

“He should never have been on the pitch for a second foul; the first one was a bad one.

“As a former centre-half I have taken a few and chucked a few, so know when one is chucked deliberately.

“The penalty for us in the first half when Ryan Delaney headed the ball back, it baffles how a referee can't see that. It's a shocker and you don't need VAR - it was a stonewall penalty.”

County will now travel to Hampshire in between next Saturday’s trip to Doncaster and their home encounter with Wrexham on January 20.

They will learn their potential fourth-round opponents in Monday’s televised draw before the Wigan versus Manchester United game.

Newport County boss Graham Coughlan (Image: Press Association)

“I have mixed emotions. We played really well, were the dominant team and moved the ball well to get into good positions,” said Coughlan.

“With territory and possession we dominated the game, although they went down to 10 men so the stats fall in our favour. Before the sending off we were good and created chances that we just didn’t finish.

“Unfortunately we are coming away from a game yet again talking about a ridiculous decision but Eastleigh were very good.

“We should have seen the game through but the game was always likely to swing on a naive refereeing decision.

“It's not easy to be stood after a game that you haven't won and be pleased but the lads played really, really well.

“We shoot ourselves in the foot, that's evident, and I've got to take ownership for that because some of the decisions players are making are hurting us.

“Overall, we need to realise how well we played and how good we were, it was just that finishing touch and little bit of quality in the final third.

“A second goal and it would have been a really comfortable afternoon but it didn’t come and the referee had a major influence on the game. Nine times out of 10 we win that game."