Newport County Find Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way To Goals!


Newport County earned the result of the weekend amongst Welsh clubs but manager Graham Coughlan reckoned their 4-0 thrashing of Doncaster Rovers could have been even better.

Coughlan saw County earn their first win of the League Two season, inspired by two goals from former Cymru Premier star, Will Evans.

Seb Palmer-Houlden and an own goal from Richard Wood completed a good day’s work for Newport who are up to 10th in the early season table.

“No exaggeration but we could have come in five or six goals (ahead) in the first half, we were really, really good,” said Coughlan.

“Let’s put it in our back pocket and build on it. We didn’t have a nice feeling last Saturday (losing 3-0 at Accrington Stanley), albeit our performance was okay, but now we’ve got a really good feeling and that’s football I suppose.”

Wrexham were left with feelings of frustration as their hopes of a first win in League Two were denied them by a late AFC Wimbledon equaliser.

Elliot Lee had put Wrexham ahead at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, but the home side levelled through a James Tilley penalty after Wrexham keeper Ben Foster had already saved one from the spot to deny Ali Al-Hamadi.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson was left unhappy with the decision to award the spot kick and accused referee Darren Drysdale of inconsistency.

“If everyone looks at the penalties against us, in terms of what had been going on in both boxes throughout the game, to pick those moments out and give penalties for the first and second one is incredible,” said Parkinson.

“It’s a difficult place to come, they’re very direct. We dealt with it well, in the main, probably towards the end of the game we should have won it.

“But we’ll take a first point of the season and get back on the road for Tuesday night.”

The Bluebirds went down to a 2-1 defeat to Queens Park Rangers, with Sinclair Armstrong and Kenneth Paal putting Rangers 2-0 ahead.

Ike Ugbo pulled a goal back for Cardiff, but manager Erol Bulut has told his players they have to be able to deal with stage fright when the spotlight falls on them.

It may have been their first time in front of their fans in the league and a home debut for star signing Aaron Ramsey, but Bulut said: “Many players were nervous – I don’t understand why.

“Maybe it is the first game in front of our fans. But that is not a reason to be nervous. We created enough to at least score a second goal and get a point. But two individual mistakes cost us.”

Swansea City are also still looking for their first league win of the season after losing 3-2 at West Bromwich Albion.

The Baggies looked in control at 3-0 up following Semi Ajayi’s 18th-minute volley, an own goal by Swansea goalkeeper Carl Rushworth early in the second half and John Swift’s penalty.

However, the Swans mounted a late rally with headers from defenders Harry Darling and Nathan Wood to set up a tense final 10 minutes.

Swansea head coach Michael Duff said: “It was frustrating because we waited until we were 3-0 down before we started playing with any purpose.

“We went 3-0 down and it kicked us into life.

“If I thought we were useless and deserved to get beaten 3-0 or 4-0 I would say so, but the first half-hour and the last half-hour, it’s night and day.”