Ten men Vale taste defeat in Wales after a Newport comeback in the second half

Off the back of two away wins the Valiants went into this game full of confidence but were made to soak up some early pressure. Player of the Month for November Dominic Telford tried to curl an effort into the far corner from 20-yards on the quarter-hour mark but it went wide.

Lucas Covolan returned to the starting eleven after Aiden Stone started in goal for the past three games. He did not have much to do early on and on 17 minutes he saw Finn Azaz’s effort from 25-yards fly over the bar.

Ben Garrity started upfront again after netting two in midweek. After 25 minutes he grabbed his third in two games. Dan Jones’ strike from around 30-yards was fumbled by Joe Day in goal straight to Garrity who chipped Day from close range to give us the lead. It took 13 minutes for Newport to try and respond. Aaron Lewis’ shot following a quick free-kick was too high.

With five minutes to go in the half the Exiles created two good opportunities. Azaz’s curled effort inside the area looked destined to find the net but Covolan somehow got a hand to it and palmed it away for a corner. From that corner, the ball bobbled in the area and fell to James Clarke who tried a shot from 12-yards but he did not get a solid connection as it rolled wide.

Newport came out strong in the second half but the Valiants defended brilliantly. The first chance of note came on 62 minutes. Telford received the ball on the edge of the box and fired a strike which went wide of Covolan’s far post. But seven minutes later Telford got the Exiles’ equaliser. A low cross was played into him by Oliver Cooper and he tapped the ball home from close range.

On 75 minutes Newport got themselves ahead though Azaz. He picked up the ball on the edge of the area, turned, and curled the ball into the top corner. The Valiants’ hopes of getting an equaliser were dealt a blow as Jones was sent off on 87 minutes. Jones had defensive support with him but the referee deemed his as the last man.

We could not find a late equaliser as Newport took all three points.

Newport County: Day, Norman, Clarke, Dolan, Demetriou, Lewis, Azaz, Cooper, Telford (81’ Bennett), Baker-Richardson (52’ Collins)

Subs not used: Townsend, Haynes, Upson, Ellison, Cain

Port Vale: Covolan, Gibbons, Jones, Walker (64’ Burgess), Legge (77’ Benning), Smith, Garrity, Conlon, Politic (74’ Bailey), Pett, Cass

Subs not used: Stone, Martin, Johnson, Amos