Carabao Cup - Ipswich Town vs Newport County Preview & Matchday Thread
Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2021 10:08 pm
Ipswich Town v Newport County AFC
Tuesday 10th August 2021 – 19:45
Portman Road
Pre Match Thoughts - Mike
Not Quite The Anticipated Start.......
The scene was set, an opening day Home fixture against a team most expected us to cruise past, fans returning post lockdown and a bumper opening day crowd all eagerly anticipating the dawn of the bright new era, fans singing and partying in the concourse before the game and the huge roar as the Two teams strode out onto the pitch, it was a goosebumps moment for sure, what could possibly go wrong !
Clearly Morecambe had not read the script and dare I say it but neither had Luke Woolfenden as his poor errors cost us big time on the day, yes others had iffy moments too but poor Luke really did have a bit of a howler which he will need to get out of his system quickly. I thought the game itself was no more than OK if I am honest, the occasion was better than the action but even so it was so good to be back watching Football, although I wasn't saying that for much of the game.
Looking beyond the result and the defensive errors we looked ok in patches, Lee Evans & Rekeem Harper impressed me greatly and they will be the motor that has this team performing for sure, once they have a few games under their belts I can see them developing a really good understanding which is so crucial in that department of the team. Joe Pigott too impressed albeit when dropping deep, he got little support in the First half and found it tough but as the game wore on you could see his quality, Conor Chaplin too, anonymous first half but some really clever touches after the break, none more so than the One Two with Scott Fraser that set up our excellent first goal, it was really good stuff to watch and Fraser finished it with aplomb.
At that point there was only going to be One winner and I am certain but for Luke's howler we would have gone on to win the game, we had them pinned back and were looking so much better. You cannot account for errors of that magnitude and yes while Penney's pass back was soft it has to be said that a competent Centre back deals with that ball with no problem at all, you launch it and take the attacker with it if need be, what Luke tried was suicide and very poor even for this level.
I think it shows where we need to strengthen most, with Edmundson still fighting to get fit and Toto now out for a while we are down to the bare bones and while Donacien did well when coming on I am not at all at ease with who we have at our disposal, they can do a job in the cup against Newport but Burton away ? Hmmmm not so sure. Going forward we look well set for options, the Midfield also looks strong, especially with the imminent arrival of Michael Jacobs from Portsmouth bolstering that department further, so with LB Hayden Coulson arriving on loan any time and Jacobs virtually sorted I think we need a couple of Centre Backs and another Central Midfielder, that will hopefully have us set and good to go.
I think it was a classic Glass half empty of half full moment come 5pm Saturday, yes prior to kick off a draw would be viewed by most as Two points dropped but at 1-2 down in the 91st minute I feel it is a point gained, we were staring defeat in the face until home town boy Macauley Bonne coolly stroked home the leveller to send Portman Road into raptures. I was so pleased for him as I must admit I am still out on this signing but what he did he did very well and saved the day, route One it might have been and well done to James Norwood for the crucial flick, but it still had to be finished and Bonne did that with composure and strength.
While the League One campaign is the be all and end all of our season I think getting a positive result Tuesday against Newport County is important mainly because another negative result will not look good but also because this cup will give certain players the chance to get some game time into them and in doing so up to full match fitness, the likes of Aluko, Barry, Holy, Dobra, El Mizouni etc can all probably expect to play a part and in doing so put themselves in the Managers thoughts.
Newport go their season off to a good start with victory at Oldham Athletic courtesy of a strike late in the game and last seasons beaten Play Off finalists will be a test for a much changed Town side, our record in recent seasons, not only in cups but against so called lesser opposition is dire and it is something I am sure Paul Cook is aware of and more importantly will want to stop. Winning breeds confidence and a good result here will set us up nicely for the trip to Burton Albion at the weekend.
One name that stands out from the Wasps squad is Town old boy Ed Upson and I am sure he is chomping at the bit to help put one over his former employers, we have to make sure that does not happen, aside from Ed I am not familiar with anyone else and I suppose it remains to be seen how seriously Newport approach the game as well. I will go for Town to edge this one by the odd goal and secure our place in the hat for the second round draw.
COYB'S
The Opposition – Newport County AFC
Newport County, originally nicknamed The Ironsides due to Newport being home to Lysaght's Orb Works steel works, started out in the Southern League in 1912 at Somerton Park. The official name of the club was The Newport & Monmouth County Association Football Club, although the shorter Newport County was soon adopted. The club were reformed in 1919and were first elected to the Football League in 1920. They were not re-elected after the 1930–31 season but rejoined for 1932–33. After almost 20 years in the Third Division South, the club finally clinched promotion to the Second Division as champions in 1939 under manager Billy McCandless.
Hopes were high that the championship-winning side could prosper in the Second Division, but only three games were played of the 1939–40 season due to the outbreak of World War II. Newport County managed a 1–1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur and a 3–1 win over Southampton, finishing joint ninth out of 22 in the abandoned season. The War League operated for the remainder of the 1939–40 season and County finished 10th in the South-West Division.
After the war, the club reformed and competed in the temporary Football League South for the 1945–46 season. On the resumption of national league football for the 1946–47 season Newport resumed their place in the Second Division but the reshaped team suffered a host of defeats – including a joint Football League record 13–0 defeat at Newcastle United. Newcastle player Len Shackleton remarked "they were lucky to get nil". Despite victories over Coventry City, Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham, the club needed four wins out of the last four games to have any hope of safety. Despite a revenge victory over Newcastle United, defeats to Birmingham City, Luton Town and Manchester City sealed their fate. County finished bottom of the Second Division and were relegated.
After 11 further seasons in the Third Division South, the club narrowly avoided another effective relegation with the creation of the Fourth Division for the 1958–59 season. The bottom 12 teams from the Third Division North and South were placed in the new division, with the remainder forming the revived Third Division. County avoided this fate by a mere four points. However, in 1962, with only seven wins all season, the club were relegated to the Fourth Division – their home for the next 18 years.
Billy Lucas had the first of three spells as Newport County manager from 1953 to 1961. County reached the fourth round of the 1956–57 FA Cup losing 2–0 to Arsenal in front of 20,000 spectators at Somerton Park. In the 1958–59 FA Cup County faced Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round. The game was played in heavy snow away at White Hart Lane, and although County lost 4–1 their goal came from an incredible 35-yard effort by defender Ken Hollyman. This made the score-line 1–2, giving County the hope that they could force an upset upon Bill Nicholson's men (who were double winners a year later). However, two late goals for Tottenham ended County's hopes of pulling off a shock result. County faced Tottenham again in the 1959–60 FA Cup third round at Somerton Park in front of a cup record 24,000 crowd, this time losing 4–0.
In the 1970–71 season the Newport team managed by Bobby Ferguson set an unwanted Football League record by not winning any of their first 25 matches, losing 21 in the process. In the same season Newport equalled the worst defeat of a Football League club by a non-league club when they lost 6–1 to Barnet in the FA Cup First Round. Results improved in the following season under Billy Lucas in his third spell as manager and in the 1972–73 season Newport missed out on promotion only on goal average.
For the 1976–77 season the team managed by Jimmy Scoular changed their playing strip to light blue and white striped shirts, light blue shorts and white socks akin to the Argentina national team in an attempt to turn around their fortunes. However, the team continued to struggle until Colin Addison took over in January 1977. The season became known as "the great escape" as County avoided relegation with a 1–0 win at home to Workington in the last game of the season.
The 1980s heralded both the brightest and darkest moments in Newport County's history. Len Ashurst was manager from 1978 to 1982, the club's most successful period in its history and under the chairmanship of Richard Ford. In the 1978–79 FA Cup County beat West Ham United 2–1 in round three before losing 1–0 to Colchester United in a fourth round replay. In 1980, promotion was finally achieved from the Football League Fourth Division, the club being only five points from being crowned champions although never being in contention to win the league and never being top.
This was also the year that County won the Welsh Cup, entitling them to play in the 1980–81 season European Cup Winners' Cup.
The 1980–81 European Cup Winners' Cup turned out to be quite eventful – the first round against Crusaders of Northern Ireland was won 4–0 on aggregate The second round against SK Haugar of Norway was even more convincing: after a 0–0 draw away, the home leg was won 6–0, taking the club into the quarter-finals against Carl Zeiss Jena F.C. of East Germany. The quarter-final away leg was drawn 2–2 with Tommy Tynan scoring both goals, including his equaliser in the 90th minute. However, despite dominating the home leg, Newport lost 1–0 in front of 18,000 fans at Somerton
In the 1982–83 season Colin Addison, in his second spell as manager, led Newport County to their highest post-war league finish – 4th in the Third Division, just four points behind third-placed Huddersfield Town. Huddersfield were promoted to the Second Division, along with champions Portsmouth and local rivals Cardiff City.
Despite reaching the Welsh Cup final, County were relegated from the Third Division in 1987 and in 1988 finished bottom of the Fourth Division with a mere 25 points, meaning that their 60-season stay in the Football League was over. They failed to finish their first season in the Conference and finally went out of business on 27 February 1989 with debts of £330,000. They were then expelled from the Conference for failing to fulfil their fixtures. Their record (four wins, seven draws and 19 points from 29 games) was expunged.
In June 1989 the club was reformed by 400 supporters including David Hando as chairman; later club president. Former manager John Relish was re-appointed team manager and they were elected to the Hellenic League (then four divisions below the Football League). The club's main aim was to regain the Football League status lost in 1988. The club took on the name "Newport A.F.C." and adopted the nickname The Exiles, as a result of having to play home matches for the 1989–90 season at the London Road ground in the north Gloucestershire town of Moreton-in-Marsh, 80 miles (130 km) north-east of Newport. Newport Council considered the new company to be a continuation of the old, and refused it permission to use Somerton Park on the grounds of unpaid rent.
Newport won the Hellenic double, gaining promotion to the Southern League. After the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons back home in Newport at Somerton Park, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) consigned them to a further two seasons of exile in England, ground-sharing at Gloucester City's Meadow Park stadium for 1992–93 and 1993–94. The club was forced to resort to legal action to protect themselves from being forced out of the English football league system by FAW secretary Alun Evans, who was promoting the first national League of Wales formed for the 1992–93 season. That litigation proved successful, with a landmark High Court verdict enabling them to have a permanent home in Newport at the then newly built Newport Stadium.
The club's first season back in Newport, in 1994–95 under manager Graham Rogers, saw them promoted to the Southern League Premier Division, after winning the Midland Division Championship by a 14-point margin. On the way to that championship, the club set a then record for the Southern League by winning 14 successive league matches.
Subsequent reorganisation of the upper divisions of non-league football saw County take their place in the 2004–05 inaugural season of Conference South, one of the two feeder divisions into the Football Conference. Peter Beadle was appointed manager in October 2005. In 2006–07 Newport finished just one position below the playoffs after losing 2–1 to Cambridge City on the final day of the season.
In the 2007–08 season, Newport won the last-ever FAW Premier Cup beating Llanelli 1–0 in the final, making a total of one win out of three finals. For the second consecutive season a last-day defeat prevented County reaching the Conference South playoffs. In April 2008 Peter Beadle was sacked as club manager, and was replaced by Dean Holdsworth.
In his first full season in charge, Holdsworth led Newport to a 10th-place finish in the league, despite a poor start. Newport went top of the league in September of the 2009–10 season and held onto the top spot for the rest of the season. The league title was won in March 2010 after beating Havant and Waterlooville 2–0 at Newport Stadium with seven league games remaining. The win made them the first team in the English football leagues to achieve promotion in the 2009–10 season. County finished the season with a Conference South record 103 points, 28 ahead of nearest rivals Dover Athletic. Craig Reid was the league's top scorer with 24 goals in the season.
Newport County were promoted to the Conference Premier for the 2010–11 season, the level they had played at prior to bankruptcy in 1989. Dean Holdsworth left Newport County to become team manager of League Two club Aldershot Town on 12 January 2011 with Newport County in fifth place in the Conference Premier table. Tottenham Hotspur reserve-team coach Anthony Hudson was announced as the new manager on 1 April 2011. The team finished their first season back in the Conference Premier league in ninth place.
After a poor start to the 2011–12 season with the team last-but-one in the table after picking up just a single win out of the first 12 games, Hudson was sacked on 28 September 2011. He was replaced on 4 October 2011 by Justin Edinburgh with the task of saving County from relegation. Under Edinburgh, County finished in 19th place and so maintained their Conference Premier status.
In May 2012, Newport County announced that they had agreed a deal to move to the city's rugby stadium, Rodney Parade. In August 2012 EuroMillions lottery winner Les Scadding succeeded Chris Blight as club chairman. In February 2013 a further 10-year lease to play at Rodney Parade was signed.
The centenary 2012–13 season saw Newport County finish third in the Conference Premier league, reaching the play-offs for the first time. A 2–0 aggregate win over Grimsby Town in the two-legged play-off semi-final saw Newport County reach the 2013 Conference Premier play-off Final at Wembley Stadium. The final versus Wrexham was the first Wembley final to feature two Welsh teams, and Newport County won 2–0 to return to the Football League after a 25-year absence with promotion to League Two.
On their return to the Football League in the 2013–14 season Newport County finished a creditable 14th in League Two. On 7 February 2015, with Newport County in sixth place in League Two, it was confirmed that Justin Edinburgh had been appointed manager at Gillingham. Jimmy Dack stepped up from assistant manager at the club to caretaker manager and was later appointed manager until the end of the 2014–15 season. On 29 April, Dack stated he had been offered the manager's job beyond the end of the season but he had decided he would move on after the final game. Newport finished the 2014–15 season in ninth place in League Two. Terry Butcher was appointed team manager on 30 April 2015. On 18 June 2015 Les Scadding resigned as Newport County chairman and director.
On 1 October 2015 Newport County Supporters' Trust took over ownership of the club. Butcher was sacked on the same day, with Newport bottom of League Two after gaining just five points from the first 10 matches of the 2015–16 season. John Sheridan was appointed team manager on 2 October 2015 until the end of the 2015–16 season and results improved. Sheridan resigned on 13 January 2016 after just 14 league games to take up the manager's job at Oldham Athletic. Assistant manager Warren Feeney was promoted to team manager on 15 January 2016 with Andy Todd appointed as his assistant. Newport finished the season in 22nd place in League Two, avoiding relegation.
Feeney and Todd were sacked by Newport on 28 September 2016 with Newport County bottom of League Two having gained just six points from their first nine matches of the 2016–17 season. First team coach Sean McCarthy and goalkeeping player/coach James Bittner were appointed joint caretaker managers. Effective from 10 October 2016 Graham Westley was appointed team manager with Dino Maamria his assistant and Mccarthy released by the club. On 9 March 2017 Westley and Maamria were sacked with Newport 11 points adrift at the bottom of League Two.
Following the departure of Westley, first team coach Michael Flynn was appointed caretaker manager for the remaining 12 league matches of the 2016–17 season and Wayne Hatswell returned to the club as assistant manager. A remarkable recovery saw Newport avoid relegation, sealed by a final day of the season 2–1 victory at home against Notts County in the final match of the season, the second 'great escape' in the club's history, after that of the 1976–77 season.
On 9 May 2017 Flynn was appointed permanent team manager on a two-year contract. County finished the 2017–18 season in 11th place in League Two.
Newport began the 2018-19 season creditably, securing 23 points from their first 10 games, losing only twice. Newport finished the 2018–19 season in 7th place in League 2, thus qualifying for the League Two play-offs. In the semi-final against Mansfield Town, Newport drew the first leg 1–1 at home, drew the second leg 0–0 at Mansfield and then won the semi final penalty shoot-out. In the League Two playoff final at Wembley Stadium on 25 May 2019 Newport lost to Tranmere Rovers 1–0, after a goal in the 119th minute.
The 2019–20 season was suspended on 13 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, with Newport 15th in League Two. The pandemic also meant a planned relaying of the pitch at Rodney Parade was postponed. The club furloughed the players, management team and most staff to "protect the long-term financial viability" of the club. On 1 June 2020 the club's managerial consultant of three years, Lennie Lawrence, moved to the same role at Stevenage The League Two season was formally terminated on 9 June 2020. Points per game was subsequently adopted to determine the final League Two table with Newport County rising one place to 14th in the league. Club chairman Gavin Foxall stated that they expected to lose 40% of their income as a consequence of continued COVID-19 constraints. On 15 June 2020 the club lost its captain and the 2017 'Great Escape' goalscorer Mark O'Brien to early retirement, after he was found to require further heart surgery.
On 19 January 2021 goalkeeper Tom King scored the first goal of his career with a wind-assisted goal kick in the 12th minute of Newport's 1–1 League Two draw at Cheltenham Town. On 21 January 2021, his goal was confirmed to have broken the Guinness World Record for longest football goal, with a distance of 96.01 metres (105 yards), a record previously held by Asmir Begović. In March 2020 Newport were permitted by the EFL to move two home matches to Cardiff City Stadium due to the poor condition of the Rodney Parade pitch. Newport finished the 2020-21 season in 5th place in League Two and qualified for the play-offs. Newport beat Forest Green Rovers 5-4 on aggregate to reach the play-off final for the second time in three seasons. In the League Two playoff final at Wembley Stadium on 31 May 2021 Newport lost to Morecambe, 1-0 after a controversial 107th minute penalty.
On 7 June 2021 Darren Kelly was appointed Sporting Director at Newport County to work alongside the first team manager.
The Manager – Michael Flynn
Match Referee – Neil Hair
IPSWICH TOWN 2 NEWPORT COUNTY AFC 0