Hunt spot on as City win (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Hunt spot on as City win

11:43pm Saturday 20th September 2008 in

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Newport County 0-1 St Albans City Blue Square South

The Beautiful Game it was not, but St Albans City were none too concerned about the fancy side of football at the Newport Stadium on Saturday as Jonathan Hunt’s first Blue Square South goal, a second half penalty following a trip on Gary Cohen by former Saint Ashley Vickers, clinched City’s first away win since March and nudged Newport County into the bottom three.

In scoring only their second goal in the past eight away league matches City were good value for a much needed victory that puts a healthy five points between themselves and Dean Holdsworth’s Exiles. On this evidence, the Welsh side are in for a long painful campaign while for the Saints the need to sharpen up in front of goal remains a high priority as another 90 minutes of squandered chances almost let the home side off the hook.

City boss Steve Castle was forced into making changes as an ankle injury sidelined Scott Cousins, the versatile Alex Bailey switched to left back with Lee Protheroe coming in on the opposite flank. Castle resisted the temptation to give a debut to new signing Sam Hurrell but did welcome back combative midfielder Luke Thurlbourne, only loan from Southend United, and Rod Hicks after injury.

With just one win so far this season Newport appeared understandably cautious but that was soon replaced by a complete lack of confidence and an inability to string two passes together. City gave an early warning of their intentions when Hunt, after just 35 seconds, took a pass from Paul Hakim and fired in a shot from 25 yards that caused no problems for home keeper Glyn Thompson.

The opening half was littered with petty stoppages but City almost lifted the game to dizzy heights when Ben Bowditch swept a superb ball out to the right from the centre of the pitch. Hakim seized control, ran past Dave Collins and crossed low towards the near post where the incoming Simon Martin stretched to poke the ball narrowly wide.

In searching for their second win of the season Newport sought to pick out striker Rob Duffy with a number of high balls towards the edge of the City penalty. Duffy won a couple of early headers but overall what was a very physical battle with Ben Martin was won by the City skipper.

What limited goalmouth action there was came in front of Thompson’s goal with some uncertain handling by the home keeper increasing the likelihood of a City success. Thompson was beaten by Ben Martin to a Protheroe free kick but as the ball dropped Simon Martin saw his snap shot blocked for the first corner of the afternoon.

Midway through the half City lost Hassan Sulaiman following a bad tackle by Danny Rose while two minutes Hicks, on for the injured Sulaiman, was possibly fortunate to receive just a yellow card for a poor lunge on Craig Hughes.

Ten minutes from the interval County right back Steve Jenkins almost gifted City a goal when his short back pass was intercepted by Hakim who attempted to slip the ball wide of the keeper as Thompson raced from his goal. The ball appeared to strike the arm of the keeper outside the penalty but referee John Busby deemed the ball to have struck Thompson’s chest.

The second 45 minutes continued in much the same vein as the first half with City looking the most likely to find a way through while Newport’s disintegrating performance drew scorn from the frustrated home support.

After a couple of half chances had gone begging the clearest opening of the afternoon was wasted on 57 minutes when Hunt put Hakim clear with an exquisite ball in from the right. City’s leading scorer this season seemed to be trying to tee the ball up for an extravagant volley but only succeeded in gently lifting it tamely through to the grateful keeper.

Midway through the half Protheroe picked up his second booking of the season, for a foul on Rose, and from the ensuing free kick Adie Harris flashed a shot just wide of Paul Bastock’s right hand upright. Five minutes later and a foul at the opposite end of the pitch provided the platform upon which the Saints clinched their second victory at the Newport International Sports Village.

Taking possession of the ball down the City left close to the edge of the penalty area, Cohen tried to dart along the 18 yard but was tripped just inside the box by veteran defender Vickers, who is on loan to the Exiles from Eastleigh.

Hunt remained calm during a lengthy delay before striking a left-footed shot into the goal via Thompson’s left hand upright as the keeper fell to his right.

Newport’s reply was muted although a poor Kevin Cooper free kick on 77 minutes almost found a way through as it crashed into Paul Hall only for the Jamaican international to have his shot blocked by the alert Bailey at the cost of County’s only corner of the match.

City hit back with a long kick out to the right by Bastock that struck Cohen and rebounded to Hunt whose deep diagonal cross was smartly taken by Hakim with the strikers pass across the face of the goal finding no support.

Fears that City could again be punished for not accepting their chances grew when Dave Collins struck a crisp and inswinging free kick towards the City goal only for the ball to elude Duffy and bounce wide of the target.

During the latter stages City did well to keep Newport well away from the danger zone and almost grabbed a second goal when Hakim, receiving a ball from the left by Bailey, smartly turned his defender and shot into the goalmouth where the ball rebounded to Hunt who, after jinking inside one challenge, put a soft effort through to Thompson.

Newport County: G.Thompson, S.Jenkins, D.Collins, N.Davies (A.Harris 46), A.Vickers, K.Stephens (M.Giles 47), D.Rose, A.Church (K.Cooper 66), R.Duffy, C.Hughes, P.Hall, subs; P.Walsh, S.James.

St Albans City: P.Bastock, L.Protheroe, B.Bowditch (L.Thurlbourne 67), B.Martin, J.Fisher, H.Sulaiman (R.Hicks 25), J.Quilter, P.Hakim, S.Martin (G.Cohen 58), J.Hunt, subs; L.Clarke, G.Rieck.

Goal: Hunt (71p).

Booked: Rose, Giles, Jenkins, Fisher, Hicks, Protheroe, B.Martin.

Referee: John Busby (Wallingford).

Att: 866.