Newport County

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We had the first taste of pre-season at Huish Park last night on a glorious summer evening as Yeovil ran out 2-0 winners over Newport County. Here are Ian’s conclusions from a confidence-boosting evening at home…

Huish Park was looking resplendent. We all know our home has been in desperate need of some tender loving care for a long time and we’ve seen a lot of the work that has been done over the Summer through social media. Last night more than 2100 supporters got to see it first hand for the first time and to say it looks impressive is an understatement. The refreshed seats, the dugouts have transformed pitch side (and make you feel closer to the players and staff), the carpet, as much as we love it, has been replaced with modern wooden flooring. And, there’s more to come behind the Thatchers Stand too. The pitch is looking impressive too, and complemented some of our excellent passages of passing play. 

Frank Nouble is everything we’ve been looking for. For so long we’ve needed a ‘sticky’ striker. Someone strong, who can hold off defenders and keep the ball to alleviate some pressure on our defence. Nouble has that about his game, as well as some explosivity too. He’s formed a good partnership with Rhys Murphy already from what we’ve seen, and last night he and Olly Thomas seemed to strike it off too. I don’t want to look back, but you can’t help but wonder where we might be had Mark Cooper been allowed to sign Nouble a few months earlier…

Frank Nouble celebrates his goal with Jordan Maguire-Drew, left, and Jordan Young.

Jordan Maguire-Drew is purring. If you ever lose your keys, give JMD a call, I think he can unlock anything. We saw flashes last season before injury derailed his season, but during pre-season he’s been on another level. He’s shown how good he is against smaller teams and against Newport County he showed other assets of his game. I can’t recall a set piece that wasn’t dangerous, the deliveries were pinpoint and caused the League Two side all sorts of problems in the box. He’s looking sharp, knows where his teammates are those relationships are strengthening. We knew he was good, but I think he’s the man to make us tick when August 5th rolls around.

What a difference a year makes. Last summer, although there was optimism (isn’t there always in Summer?), we struggled to score goals throughout our pre-season. We couldn’t create clear openings but for Tom Knowles (#DFILWF). This summer it’s been a totally different story at the top end of the pitch. We’ve got experience in Murphy, Hyde and Nouble and I’m excited about Olly Thomas too. Combined with that there’s the likes of Jordan Young, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, JMD, Matt Worthington, Alex Whittle and Zac Bell who are all contributing in those attacking areas. There’s massive depth up front and the patterns of play taking shape and creating chances.

A case for the defence. Other than the defeat at Wimborne pre-season has been pretty much immaculate. We’ve conceded five goals (but scored 18) and huffed and puffed against some teams, but that’s to be expected. The only questions that have been asked on social media have been around the defence but against Newport County we looked like a good defensive unit. Morgan Williams, a goal scorer on the night, was in the middle of a three and provided that pace that helped to cover Jake Wannell and Jamie Sendles-White who aren’t necessarily as quick. In the case of Wannell and Sendles-White, they had their best performance so far in a three and as a pair later in the evening. It’s natural that as these players gain fitness, they improve and we’ve seen that in the culmination of a good performance where we kept a football league side at arms length – despite their ‘official’ version of events.

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Yeovil Town striker Jake Hyde has played down concerns that an injury had kept him out of the club’s past three pre-season friendly matches.

The 33-year-old, who signed following his release by Wrexham in the summer, missed the wins against Tiverton Town, Dorchester Town and AFC Totton with a reported back injury, but has said his absence was down to “management” of his body more than an injury.

He was speaking after scoring his third goal in as many pre-season matches bagging the second in a 2-0 home win over League Two side Newport County on Tuesday night.

Asked about his absence, Hyde said: “I am building up to be fit. I am just maintaining little things, so I am just sort of coming through that now and feeling stronger every day. It is more about management than an injury, so I am feeling good and getting better every day.”

The frontman found the net after 74 minutes against Newport, having lifted a penalty kick over the crossbar nine minutes earlier, but said he would not let the miss knock his confidence.

Hyde said: “I have taken a lot of penalties down the years and I have scored more than I have missed, so you just have to get on with the game as best you can. Things like that won’t bother me, as long as when the next one comes along you put it in the back of the net.”

Another player who played down any injury concerns about his fitness was the other goalscorer on Tuesday night, defender Morgan Williams, who picked up an ankle injury in the first pre-season friendly at Buckland United.

That ruled him out of the matches at Wimborne Town and Tiverton Town, but he returned as a second half substitute in the 5-0 win at Dorchester Town and played the full 90 minutes against Newport.

Speaking after the match at Huish Park, he said: “It was only precautionary which meant I was out for a week or so to make sure I could get back fit, but I am feeling really good and really happy.”

He added that the team is now looking forward to the start of the National League South season which gets underway next weekend following the final friendly fixture of pre-season at Plymouth Parkway this Saturday.

Williams added: “We are looking sharp, all the boys are looking and we are ready to go. You can see the new ground with the new seats (in the dug out area) looking really nice, so we are looking forward to being back for home games during the (National League South) season.”

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Yeovil Town boss Mark Cooper was pleased with his side’s “powerful” performance as they picked up a 2-0 win over League Two opponents Newport County in the only pre-season friendly on home soil on Tuesday night.

Goals from defender Morgan Williams and striker Jake Hyde were enough to secure the victory with the Glovers even able to withstand a missed penalty by Hyde moments before he grabbed his side’s second goal.

A crowd of more than 2,000 was at Huish Park to watch the victory which means Yeovil have now picked up five wins out of their six friendlies to date

Speaking to the club’s Twitter account about the home win, Cooper said: “The longer the pre-season goes, the stronger we become and the better we become. We are growing and I thought we looked powerful tonight.

“We had a really good start for the first 25 minutes before Newport came in to the game towards the back end of the first half, but what pleased me most was that we stood up and defended those moments really well. Then second half I thought we totally dominated.

“I thought we played with a real intent and that was maybe because we knew we had to be really on it because we were playing against a team which is two leagues above us with some good players, that focused the mind and we knew we had to face it head on and we had a mentality to do whatever the game needed.”

The boss was pleased with how his side defended against higher division opposition and was quick to praise the physicality of his back line made up of Jamie Sendles-White, Jake Wannell and Williams with wing-backs Zac Bell and Alex Whittle alongside them. Club captain Josh Staunton remained on the bench for the match.

Asked about the clean sheet, Cooper said: “Jamie Sendles-White is now getting his fitness and you saw what a solid performer he is tonight.

“Most of the defending tonight was set pieces, most of their opportunities were corners but we defended them really well on the whole. We have a big team and a big squad which was always a thing (we wanted) because in (National League South) we are going to have to defend balls in to the box.

“And at the other end of the pitch, as you can see, we have got another threat with long throws on both side and we have got a threat.”

Yeovil now concluded their pre-season campaign with a trip to Southern League Premier Division South side Plymouth Parkway on Saturday, ahead of a the National League South opener at Hemel Hempstead Town on August 5th.

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Yeovil Town’s one and only friendly at Huish Park this pre-season with their most impressive result and performance seeing off League Two side Newport County in front of a crowd of more than 2,000 on Tuesday night.

A first half goal from defender Morgan Williams gave the Glovers a well-deserved advantage after 21 minutes which they could have added to before the interval.

Striker Jake Hyde, who came off the substitutes’ bench having missed the previous three friendlies through injury, grabbed the ball after the hosts were awarded a penalty following a foul on Jordan Maguire-Drew on 64 minutes – but the striker lifted his spot kick over the bar.

However, the summer signing made amends moments later when his effort – via some ‘help’ from team-mate Charlie Cooper and potentially visiting goalkeeper Nick Townsend – found its way in to the net for Yeovil’s second on 73 minutes.

Here’s how Ian saw it from his position in the Huish Park stands……

 

First half

Rhys Murphy, who has five goals in pre-season so far, was left out of the starting XI (hopefully rested) with Bristol City loanee Olly Thomas paired alongside Frank Nouble up front. There was a return for Jake Hyde, missing since the 2-1 defeat to Wimborne Town in the second friendly of the campaign, on the substitutes’ bench.

For the visitors, there was a familiar face in the shape of striker Seb Palmer-Houlden, who joined Newport on a season-long loan from Bristol City last week and had a brief spell on loan at Huish Park last season. If social media is anything to go by, the South Wales side’s supporters claimed this starting line-up was their strongest available XI as they prepare for the start of the League Two season.

The opening 10 minutes saw the Glovers hold their own against a side two divisions higher, and they created some half chances without testing Newport keeper Nick Townsend. He was drawn into a punch from a teasing Jordan Maguire-Drew cross but Yeovil could not capitalise from the corner.

Thomas showed signs if his physical prowess shrugging off a Newport defender, earning a free-kick after some fancy footwork. Maguire-Drew delivered another teasing cross towards Nouble who’s header went wide.

Yeovil came close to an opener in the 19th minute. A good cross in from Alex Whittle was half cleared to Matt Worthington who brought the ball down and struck an effort which was deflected wide of the post.

It did arrive almost immediately as Morgan WILLIAMS curled a left footed effort into the top corner to put the Glovers ahead with 21 minutes gone.

Charlie Cooper almost doubled the lead seconds later with a free-kick struck fiercely towards the top corner which was tipped over the bar by the scrambling keeper.

Nouble thought he’d grabbed a second in the 28th minute as his right footed effort struck the foot of the post and trickled along the line before the keeper clawed it away. Nouble’s effort came from another delicious cross from Maguire-Drew, with his deliveries causing all sorts of issues for Newport’s defence.

Newport grew into the game as the half wore in and managed to stem the flow of Yeovil pressure. But for a routine catch from a header, Will Buse was hardly tested in the Glovers’ goal but County certainly found themselves further into Yeovil territory as the clock ticked on.

In the 44th minute Williams made an important block as Newport broke into the box and from the resultant corner Buse had to help the ball over the bar from a header Newport header.

Half-time: Yeovil Town 1 Newport County 0

Second half

It was as you were after half time with no changes, and after an early spell of pressure for Yeovil, Newport almost equalised through Harry Charsley’s volley, which went narrowly wide of Buse’s left hand post.

Just past the hour mark Yeovil introduced Sonny Blu Lo-Everton for Zac Bell resulting a change of shape for Mark Cooper’s side and a switch to a back four with Lo-Everton in the ‘number 10’.

Jake Hyde, who’d replaced Olly Thomas opened up the Newport defence and played the ball to Maguire-Drew who turned sharply and went down under a challenge to earn the Glovers a penalty. Hyde stepped up, but attempted to deftly lift his spot kick and it ended up not so deftly in the the Thatchers Stand.

HYDE amends in the 73rd minute with a right footed effort that rebounded off the post before going in. It was credited to Hyde but it looked to me like Charlie Cooper got something on the rebound.

Yeovil were on the hunt for a third with five minutes remaining and as Jordan Young and Will Dawes broke forward, the latter couldn’t find Lo-Everton in the box.

Through luck rather than judgement, Newport’s keeper kept a point blank header from Jake Hyde out from the resulting corner.

The Glovers saw out the game professionally and with some exciting passing okay to whet the appetite for the season ahead of the final friendly fixture at Plymouth Parkway on Saturday.

You can say that Newport County did not look a great side for an EFL outfit, but there is no denying that Mark Cooper’s men looked impressive and thoroughly deserved their victory.

Full time: Yeovil Town 2 Newport County 0

 

Yeovil Town: Will Buse, Morgan Williams, Jamie Sendles-White, Jake Wannell, Zach Bell (for Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, 62), Alex Whittle (for Will Dawes, 78),  Charlie Cooper, Matt Worthington, Jordan Maguire-Drew (for Josh Owers, 74), Olly Thomas (for Jake Hyde, 56), Frank Nouble (for Jordan Young, 80) .

Attendance: 2,177 (153 away supporters)

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Yeovil Town’s ONLY home pre-season friendly see the Glovers welcome Newport County and tickets are now available.

County will head to Somerset on Tuesday 25th of July – the game kicking off at 7:30pm (note that kick off time is a little bit earlier, don’t rock up to your seat at 7:45 or you might have missed a goal or two!)

All ticket prices are banded together at £10 for Adults, £5 for concessions and kids are a quid!

You can find the YTFC ticket portal – HERE or you can head in person to the Club Shop between 10am and 4pm on weekdays.

The club have confirmed tickets will be available on the day for all you last-minute Larry’s… but if you want to get ahead, crack on!

Newport finished the 2022/23 season in 15th in League Two.

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Tom Knowles  was on the scoresheet twice as Yeovil Town played out a 3-3 draw against League Two side Newport County in a friendly on Tuesday afternoon.

The Glovers fielded two unnamed trialists in the match at the South Wales club’s training ground at Dragon Park which appeared to line up in the centre of defence and in attack, two positions where the squad is lacking in options.

Newport went ahead after seven minutes before left-back Jordan Barnett pulled the visitors level after 22 minutes having broken in to the box and fired in to the bottom corner.

Knowles put Yeovil ahead ten minutes from half-time and added his second of the match two minutes before the break to send Darren Sarll’s side in ahead at the interval.

Newport pulled a goal back soon after the restart before both sides made a number of changes with loanee Lewis Simper, who has not featured since pre-season having suffered from COVID-19, one of those coming off the bench.

Striker Adi Yussuf also appeared in one of the pictures posted on the club’s Twitter channel along with new signing midfielder, Mitchell Rose.

Yeovil Town: Smith, Bradley, Robinson, Trialist, Barnett, Worthington, Stephens, Knowles, Wakefield, Lo-Everton, Trialist.

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One of Yeovil Town’s 2013 Wembley heroes has signed a contract extension with his current club.

Matty Dolan, who signed initially on loan for the Glovers before making the move permanent has committed his future to the Welsh side until at least the end of 2022/23 season.

On signing the deal Dolan told the Newport County official club website: “I’m over the moon because I’ve played a lot of games for the club and we’ve gone from strength to strength since I’ve been here. I’d like to think I’ve performed well enough to earn a new contract this year, so I’m pleased to get it all sorted. The loyalty that the club has shown towards me has been a big thing for me and my family. I’ve felt welcomed since I first came here and I’ll be looking to help this club keep progressing over the next two years while I’m here.”

Dolan scored 5 goals in 65 appearances for Yeovil Town including a world class strike from inside his own half against Walsall.