IT'S Manchester United rather than Harrogate next weekend for Newport County AFC after they won 3-1 at Eastleigh on Tuesday night.
The Exiles won the FA Cup replay to progress to the fourth round and host another Premier League big gun, arguably THE biggest.
County took the lead in the third minute and bossed the first half only to be pegged back soon after the restart through a superb Paul McCallum finish.
The Exiles should have had a penalty for handball but struck from the resulting corner when James Clarke headed in.
The clincher came when Will Evans fired in at the near post to finish off a neat move with 12 to go.
While all the talk is of Manchester United and a cash boost, here are the talking points from the 90 minutes in freezing Eastleigh...
CHARACTER
County bossed the tie at Rodney Parade but paid the price for failing to take their chances against 10 men, then conceded from a contentious penalty in a 1-1 draw.
History repeated at Silverlake Stadium when McCallum smashed in a cracker to wake up a crowd that had been quietened down by the Exiles being professional in the first half.
Thankfully, County showed their experience to gain back control before Clarke struck on the hour.
They kept the Spitfires at arms’ length – McCallum had one half-chance on the turn – before Evans’ clincher and a stress-free finale in which Eastleigh didn’t have a sniff.
This was a strong performance against a club chasing the National League play-offs; County moved the ball nicely and posed problems in different ways with the first goal from a long ball, the second from a set piece and the third from neat interplay.
More of the same will be needed against promotion-chasing Wrexham, who will provide a serious physical test after a second-half show of power at the Racecourse in December.
Headed 🏠 at the back post @NewportCounty #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/XIO4q4j548
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 16, 2024
CLARKE’S WINNER
Clarke should have been the match winner in Newport only to concede the spot-kick, or at least be deemed to have fouled McCallum when he flung himself to ground.
The Exiles centre-back struck at the near post with a crisp finish at Rodney Parade and this time he escaped his marker at the back post before superbly heading down to give ‘keeper Joe McDonnell no chance.
Clarke provided the key moment in the Eastleigh box and also did his primary job expertly despite a rejig.
County were without Matt Baker and opted to move Scot Bennett back to the heart of a three, with the knock-on effect of providing a bit more composure, eye for a pass and goal threat with the reintroduction of Wildig.
Clarke, Bennett and Delaney learnt the lessons from Rodney Parade and did not allow themselves to be rattled by Scott Quigley, who got away with murder in Newport.
The defence got the balance right of looking for a pass when on but putting their foot through it when needed.
They defended the box well from open play and set pieces, limiting Eastleigh to five shots (three of them on target).
That won’t stop them getting a ticking off from Coughlan, mind.
The manager was full of praise for McCallum’s strike but that was in the immediate afterglow of the victory and what that means.
He’ll be miffed that there was no repeat of the Doncaster clean sheet, especially as County were undone by a long punt that allowed the Eastleigh dangerman to produce such a clean shot after Delaney missed his kick.
HARD-WORKING DUO
This was a flashback to the start of the season when Evans and Seb Palmer-Houlden formed a strong partnership that was put on hold when the Bristol City loanee suffered a hamstring tear against Brentford in August.
Recent weeks have shown how important the injured Omar Bogle is to County with striker having the physicality and, arguably more importantly, the Football League knowhow to hold the ball up and bring others into play.
However, the Evans and Palmer-Houlden combination provides the legs to stretch defences and Eastleigh were not comfortable from the off.
They ran the channels, span off and harried the Spitfires defence with Evans getting the goal he deserved and Palmer-Houlden going close.
Coughlan will be relieved that they have a full week to recharge the batteries after Wrexham.
JOB DUNNE WELL
A small point to finish but it wasn’t Coughlan prompting, pointing and gesturing from the dugout last night but his trusted assistant Joe Dunne.
The right-hand man was in the technical area giving the carrot and the stick in a slightly different manner to his boss, and perhaps saving the fourth official earache on his left side.
Dunne and Coughlan are very much a partnership and the deputy’s presence on the touchline highlights that it has been a team effort to earn a shot at Manchester United and Erik ten Hag.
Will the manager go for the tracksuit or iron the chinos for the big occasion on BBC One?!
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