A SUPERB performance from Newport County saw them upset the form book and earn their first away victory of the season at title-chasers Havant and Waterlooville on Saturday.
After a series of setbacks on the road this season, ranging from the unlucky to the downright incompetent, County produced a disciplined and impressive performance that should give them plenty of hope for the remainder of the campaign.
Havant had only been defeated once at Westleigh Park this season before Saturday, but they won't be dominated by any side more than they were by County. The only criticism you could throw at the Exiles is that they should have won by a greater margin.
The 2-1 scoreline doesn't reflect County's dominance, their passing was slick, they worked harder as a team and they also coped far better with a very strong wind.
Last Saturday against Eastleigh, and to an extent against Wrexham on Wednesday, County looked like they could play until the following day and they still wouldn't score - but on Saturday they looked a threat every time they attacked.
It was a superb transformation and without question the most important win of the season for Peter Beadle's side, but typically County started by conceding a goal so embarrassing it would make George Galloway's impression of a cat look respectable in comparison.
The goal came on 16 minutes after Geraint Bater's defensive clearance was charged down by Shea Saunders, with the ball bouncing off the Havant man across the County penalty area.
Goalkeeper Tony Pennock appeared to be in the right position to gather the ball, but he certainly wasn't, making a complete hash of a routine save, and turned the ball into the path of former County striker Carl Wilson-Denis, who almost blushed as he turned home the gift.
Five minutes later Havant tried their best to return the favour, goalkeeper Gareth Howells' attempted clearance went up in the air and then towards his goal, but Matt Green's attempted finish from close range was poor and Howells made a decent stop.
County clearly grew in confidence after the chance, and made all the running until they finally equalised on 29 minutes.
A wonderful interchange between Gary Fisken and Craig Hughes led to first Hughes and then skipper Jason Bowen being denied by goal-line clearances, the second leading to a corner. County's set pieces caused Havant problems all game and from Bowen's kick; Hughes was on hand to scramble the ball over the line.
Hughes produced his best performance in a Newport shirt on Saturday, for the first time leading the line with real purpose, timing his run perfectly, linking the play and making himself a constant worry for the home defence.
Carl Wilson-Denis was denied by Pennock, but it was County who were in the ascendancy and in first-half injury time they took the lead, just after Fisken was inches wide with a Xavier Alonso-style effort from all of 50 yards.
It was a super goal and summed up County's improvement, Hillier's long pass was taken down superbly by Hughes, who sprinted up the touchline before laying the ball square to Ashley Williams, whose first-time shot bounced back down onto the line off the crossbar.
Fortunately for County, though, the 'was it, was it not' issue of the ball crossing the line was avoided, Fisken being on hand to drill the ball home.
With the wind against them in the second half County appeared up against it, faced with the side that are second in the Conference South, and Beadle rightly prepared his team for an onslaught.
However, it never materialised.Green (twice), Nathan Davies, Geraint Bater, Hughes and Bowen could all have made the game safe for County, but the visiting supporters were perfectly happy to see Newport comfortably play out the game for a thoroughly deserved victory which keeps them out of the bottom two.
Havant: Howells, Annon, Byles (Fowler 46), Simpson, Jordan, Sharp, Lopez-Dacruz, Saunders, Wilson-Denis, Pethick (Harrison 67), Taggart. Subs not used: Gray, Pearce, Gale. Booked: Saunders (41, foul), Pethick (63, foul). Sent off: Unused sub Shaun Gale was sent off for using foul and abusive language. County: Pennock, T Evans, Bater, Hillier, Edwards, Davies, Bowen (Warton 90), A Williams, Fisken, Green, Hughes. Subs not used: Bradley, Griffiths, Leek, Toppar. Booked: A Williams (85, dissent). Referee: R Ganfield (Weston). Attendance: 452.
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