Notts County end Newport unbeaten streak with 3-1 win

The Magpies took the spoils 3-1 to reignite their own promotion challenge and put a dent in the Exiles’ hopes of forcing their way into the play-off picture, dreams that had been sparked by a seven-game unbeaten run.

Notts showed the peril of form tables by showing the attacking class and quality that had them down as automatic promotion contenders when the sides met at Meadow Lane in October.

Jones was a class act on that occasion and repeated the trick in Newport to condemn the Exiles to a first league loss on home soil since Harrogate took the spoils at the start of October, and end a seven-game winless streak on the road for the Magpies that had yielded just one point.

Notts hit the front in the 22nd minute through their potent Jodi Jones and Macauley Langstaff combo – the former getting his 19th assist of the league campaign and the latter his 21st goal.

They were 2-0 up at the break courtesy of David McGoldrick, who was a class apart when Derby visited Newport in the FA Cup last season, scoring from close range after a Langstaff cross.

Langstaff was at the double approaching the hour when he nodded in from Jones’ delivery to kill the game, although the Exiles did score in the 90th minute when Will Evans made it 22 for the season from the penalty spot.

It was an evening to show why Graham Coughlan is cautious when it comes to chat of pushing for the top seven but the manager will demand a response on Saturday when Gillingham, slightly stodgier play-off contenders, visit Rodney Parade.

DOUBLE: Macauley Langstaff celebrates making it 3-0 to Notts County at Rodney Parade (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

County made one change to the XI that won at Walsall with Harry Charsley in for Aaron Wildig, who limped off in the opening exchanges when it was already 2-0.

Charsley, who scored the third, was a straight replacement in midfield while Newcastle loanee Matty Bondswell came onto the bench to face one of his hometown clubs along with young defender Harrison Bright.

The opening exchanges played out as expected with Notts having plenty of the ball but in areas that weren’t of major concern for Newport.

The visitors had the first shot after eight minutes but Nick Townsend handled the slippery ball well when Jodi Jones cut in from the right.

The Exiles responded with a pair of dangerous crosses from the left by Adam Lewis, the first nearly creating a chance for Will Evans and the second just out of reach for Seb Palmer-Houlden.

Notts should have been 1-0 up in the 18th minute when dangerman Jones put in a cross from the right that McGoldrick fired over close to the penalty spot.

However, there was no such luck for Newport shortly afterwards when Jones got down the right again to put in a cross that Langstaff headed in.

There were half-chances at either end with both Charsley and McGoldrick dragging efforts from outside the box a yard wide.

Notts then doubled their advantage in the 35th minute shortly after Langstaff and Jones changed flanks.

The result was the same with Langstaff getting in down the right and crossing for McGoldrick to side-foot in from close range.

That was followed by a loud, emphatic and unprintable rejection from Coughlan to one punter’s call for 4-4-2 and it remained 2-0 at the break after Newport failure to make the most of promising positions in the wide channels.

Bryn Morris on the ball for County (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

Notts’ defensive record meant it certainly wasn’t game over and Coughlan stuck with the starters in the bid to get back into it.

It was the visitors that had the first chance of the second half but Townsend saved well from Langstaff before the Exiles were nearly gifted a way in.

Matt Baker’s header was straight at goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond but he left the ball slip through his hands and was relieved to concede a corner rather than a goal.

Coughlan made his first change after 57 minutes when captain Ryan Delaney, who went down early on, went off and full-back Lewis Payne came on.

However, the system change was soon followed by the third with Jones picking his head up on the right wing and dinking in a cross that Langstaff nodded in.

Game over but Notts continued to look a serious threat with Townsend pulling off a wonderful save to deny McGoldrick a chance to battle Langstaff for the match ball.

From there the sting went out of the game, perhaps with both managers having an eye on the weekend.

The Exiles did deny the Magpies a rare clean sheet in the 90th minute when Evans scored from the spot after Offrande Zanzala was downed in the act of shooting.

The hosts enjoyed a late flurry of pressure in added time but it was an evening to forget for the County of Newport, who were well beaten by the County of Notts.

Exiles: Townsend, McLoughlin, Baker, Clarke, Delaney (captain, Payne 57), Lewis (Bondswell 80), Bennett, Morris (Waite 80), Charsley (Zanzala 64), Evans, Palmer-Houlden (Jephcott 64).

Substitutes not used: Maxted, Bright.

Scorer: Evans (penalty)

Notts County scorers: Langstaff (2), McGoldrick.

Referee: Charles Breakspear.

Attendance: 4,426 (423 Notts)