City’s inability to score goals condemned them to their second defeat in a week against a similarly goal shy Newport County side. A betting man would have backed City, the side with the third best away record in the league, to overcome a side with the third worst home record, but City never got their game going and paid the price.

A hugely disappointing defeat that sees City drop out of the top thirteen for the first time since the middle of November at the worst possible time with only three games left.

The City side showed two changes from that which started against Nuneaton on Easter Monday. Louis Riddle and Robbie Simpson were the two to miss out, Riddle with injury, Simpson because of a recall to the forward line for Danny Bloomfield.

Lloyd Blackman is clipped as he looks to get forward

Newport held sway in the opening minutes of what turned out to be a pretty dour first period. The strong wind, hard bumpy pitch and largely route one tactics of both sides producing little in the way of entertaining football.

In the first minute a long throw from the left got caught up in the wind and caused the City defence problems. The ball finally dropping for Gethyn Jones, but he was impeded by team-mate Nathan Davies and his shot lacked the sting to trouble Martin Davies in the City goal. A few minutes on and Carl Williams had a penalty appeal turned down when his cross appeared to strike a defender’s arm, nothing was given and Newport broke upfield through Gethyn Jones, he appeared to push Lewis Baillie to the ground but play was allowed to continue and the midfielder fed Nathan Davies on the left. His shot was superbly blocked by Matt Langston, the ball falling back to the Newport man to have another go, this time it was Martin Davies who blocked at the foot of the post.

The early promise of the game soon fizzled out into a competition of who could give the ball away, Newport, playing with centre-half Darren Jones as a makeshift forward, seemed to think hitting long balls was the answer, it wasn’t. If they weren’t mopped up by the City defence, they bounced through harmlessly to Davies. City for their part were sucked into playing a similar game but in the 18th minute they produced a moment of quality in a sea of mediocrity that should have seen them take the lead. Stuart Niven got control of the ball in the centre circle and played it into Lloyd Blackman some thirty yards from goal. He looked up and played a super pass in behind full-back Gary Lloyd to put Rob Miller clean through, but giant keeper Duncan Roberts spread himself well and saved with his legs.

Two minutes later, City forged another chance. Stuart Niven’s free-kick appeared to be running out of play, Lee Phillips certainly thought so as he trotted after it, but Blackman had other ideas, nicking the ball before crossing to the near-post where Danny Bloomfield arrived to head on target, his effort being deflected wide by Jeff Eckhardt. Much to the surprise of the City players, a goal-kick was awarded.
As Newport continued to punt the ball long, City were at least sometimes trying to get the ball down and play football. One such moment saw Lee Pluck play a nice one-two with Bloomfield on the edge of the area. Pluck’s attempted piledriver looked to be going wide until Lee Phillips stuck out a foot and deflected it alarmingly towards his own goal. For a moment it was heart in mouth time for the home defender, but fortunately for him, the ball looped up straight into Roberts hands.

Danny Bloomfield nicks the ball off Lee Phillips

Phillips was in the action again shortly afterwards when, with nothing else on, he tried to chip Davies from 40 yards. It failed to trouble the City keeper as it drifted well wide, but his effort did draw warm applause from the home crowd, a fact that probably emphasised the home sides lack of goal threat during the majority of the half.

As the half drew to a close both sides had opportunities to break the deadlock. Carl Williams found himself with space and time on the edge of the area and elected to shoot, scuffing his effort, when a ball into the path of Bloomfield might have been a better option. Soon after, Newport’s Sam O’Sullivan tried his luck when the ball ran free to him. His shot from some distance was well struck and dipped goalward but Davies didn’t appear unduly worried as the it cleared the bar by eighteen inches.

Newport, playing into the wind, started the second period with renewed vigour and put City under pressure straight away. Gethyn Jones’ pass out to the flank found O’Sullivan in space. Jones continued his run and received a return pass as he surged into City’s area. Fortunately, Langston saw the danger and got across well to block the eventual shot. Newport continued to press and a quick throw put Andrew Mumford in a good position inside the City area. Martin Davies charged off his line but Lee Chaffey was alert to the threat and slid in between the two to concede a corner.

City threatened briefly when they almost profited from an uncharacteristic error by Eckhardt. A headed lay-off by Bloomfield to Miller saw the City man chip the ball forward, Eckhardt missed his header, Bloomfield nipped in behind and was a whisker away from gathering the ball but the wind took it away from the City striker and through to Roberts.

This was only a short respite for City and Newport were soon on the offensive again. John Phillips, on as a replacement for a tiring O’Sullivan, made progress on the right before cutting in goalwards, as he did so, Pluck arrived to produce a fine tackle, taking the ball cleanly only to find, much to his annoyance, that the referee had given a foul. City were nearly made to pay as Lee Phillips rose at the far post to power a header inches over from Lloyds place kick.

Robbie Simpson looks to make space for a cross

“We’re getting closer” came a sagely voice from the back of the stand, and how right he was because two minutes later, County took the lead, and it was Lee Phillips, playing as the home side’s second centre-half/striker of the afternoon, that did the damage. A throw-in found John Phillips on the edge of the area, he controlled before sliding a pass into Gethyn Jones, his miscontrol saw the ball roll goalwards and despite a desperate attempt to intercept by Chaffey, Phillips had a simple task to sidefoot past Davies.

Newport were clearly lifted by taking the lead and came within an ace of extending it thirteen minutes later. John Phillips again caused problems on the flank before finding Davies, he was crowded out by the City defence but the ball ran free to Mumford who cracked an unstoppable shot, beating Davies but also, by inches, the post.

On the hour, City, who up to that point had been second best, finally fashioned a move that opened up the home rearguard. Blackman showed good movement to lose his marker, Bloomfield made a great supporting run and with a pinpoint pass played into his path he was away and clear, but a heavy first touch saw the ball get away from him and Roberts came out to gather. Three minutes on the Blackman/Bloomfield combo produced another chance. Blackman took down Chaffey’s long clearance brilliantly, turned and played in Bloomfield on the left. Unfortunately, with a clear sight of goal, City’s top scorer thrashed at the ball and blazed wide, although there did seem to be a bobble as he struck the shot. It was to be Bloomfield’s last contribution, as he was replaced by Tony Battersby moments later.

The 75th minute saw a moment of madness from City’s Martin Davies that on another day may well have cost a goal. Lee Phillips was given offside, Davies quickly grabbed the ball and took the kick but got it all wrong and only succeeded in poking the ball a few feet past the slowly retreating Newport man. Happily for Davies, by the time Phillips had recovered the ball, turned and shot goalwards, the City stopper had regained his ground and had the simple job of catching the ball.

With the game into injury time, City were given the opportunity to salvage something out of what had been a very disappointing afternoon when they were awarded a free-kick just outside the area following a foul on Craig Pope. Up stepped Blackman to strike a viciously swerving effort to the near-post, the net rippled, there was a sharp intake of breath amongst the home support but it was soon apparent that the ball struck the side netting as it rolled away towards the running track that surrounds the pitch at Spytty Park.

In this game, City produced probably their worst performance of the season away from home as their worryingly poor form of recent times continues. The results in the league now mean that City are into a “have to win” situation as they enter a run of two home games with fellow Conference Two contenders, Weston-super-Mare and Tiverton Town.

Post match reaction