Newport County thrash Scunthorpe 3-0 in League Two

First goals for the club by midfielder Ollie Cooper, after five minutes, and striker Courtney Baker-Richardson, after 67, earned the Exiles a 2-0 lead.

A professional job after a challenging week was finished off when striker Dom Telford scored from close range with seven minutes to go.

It was the perfect result on an afternoon when County paid a pre-match tribute to Len Ashurst, their iconic boss who died aged 82 last week.

And the Exiles were, of course, starting life without Michael Flynn after the sudden exit of the manager had been confirmed on Friday afternoon.

The initial plan was for him to have one last game in the dugout but instead he would have proudly watched the scores come in.

This looked much more the side that he built,

Ollie Cooper celebrates

His trusted assistant Wayne Hatswell made four changes to the team that collapsed in the second half in Barrow.

Central defender Mickey Demetriou and striker Telford were back from knee and hamstring injuries respectively, goalkeeper Joe Day returned after losing his spot through a thigh niggle and midfielder Cooper got the nod ahead of fellow loanee Finn Azaz.

Scunthorpe headed to Wales second from bottom of the table and on a poor run of form but included lively forward Jake Scrimshaw, the Bournemouth prospect who spent the second half of last season on loan in Newport.

He was soon chasing the game with his more imposing, physical Iron teammates after a perfect start for Hatswell & Co.

The ball was worked nicely to the right and Cameron Norman’s low cross was deftly flicked in by Cooper with his left foot.

County had the lead in the sixth minute but their trip to Barrow showed the importance of hammering home the advantage.

Midfielder Ed Upson tried his luck from distance and the Exiles worked themselves into some encouraging positions, yet they didn’t really cause goalkeeper Rory Watson too many issues.

It certainly wasn’t the most enthralling of games and County, who were on top without being spectacular, had to ensure they didn’t gift the Iron any freebies.

They had a narrow escape on that front after 36 minutes when Demetriou was short with a header back to Day but the stopper managed to punch out for a throw from just inside his box as Scrimshaw closed in.

Scrimshaw failed the hit the target from very wide on the right after getting onto a long ball and fellow hard-worker Telford suffered the same fate with the last act of the half.

The striker got onto Day’s clearance and worked the ball onto his left only to fail to get enough curl when attempting a repeat of his wonderstrike against Plymouth in the EFL Trophy.

County led 1-0 at the break, just as they had eight days earlier in Cumbria, and needed a buffer.

They had to hunt that without their goalscorer after Cooper was forced off with an injury to his left ankle.

CLINCHER: Dom Telford flicked home

His replacement swiftly had a chance to double the lead but Azaz, who was on the penalty spot, failed to connect with a dangerous ball in from the right by Norman.

County were looking sharper and Telford went down under pressure from Emmanuel Onariase inside the box but nothing was given, a correct call after good covering by the defender from the counter-attack.

The same man had to be on his toes to clear from underneath his bar on the hour after Telford nodded on another excellent Norman cross with Courtney Baker-Richardson closing in.

County were pressing for a second while the Iron brought on targetman Ryan Loft, complete with mask after a facial injury, who scored a cracker from distance when the sides met in Scunthorpe last season.

That was a goal of the season contender – and so was Baker-Richardson’s stunner in the 68th minute.

The Exiles had failed to hit the target enough from distance but the striker didn’t repeat that mistake with a majestic curling effort from 25 metres out on the left, Watson given no chance.

It was Baker-Richardson’s last action of note with the forward, who is still working to full sharpness after a quad injury, replaced by physical forward Alex Fisher with quarter of an hour to go.

More goals were there for the taking against a poor Scunthorpe team but the Exiles, who remained on the front foot, didn’t want to allow the visitors back in with any howlers.

They didn’t need to worry about that when Telford was rewarded for his hard graft with seven minutes to go.

Azaz slammed a shot against the right post from distance, Fisher got onto the loose ball and fired a shot in from a tight angle that his strike partner flicked in.

Game over, but not for Day. He ensured he could celebrate a clean sheet with super stops from Loft and Scrimshaw.

County: Day, Clarke, Dolan (captain), Demetriou, Norman, Haynes, Upson, Willmott, Cooper (Azaz 52), Telford (Abraham 85), Baker-Richardson (Fisher 74).
Substitutes: Townsend, Lewis, Missilou, Ellison.
Goals: Cooper, Baker-Richardson, Telford.

Scunthorpe: Watson, Millen, O'Malley, Taft, Onariase, Beestin, Scrimshaw, Jarvis, Davis, Perry, Hackney.
Substitutes: Collins, Loft, Hallam, Hippolyte, Rowe, Wood, Bunn
Yellow: Hackney

Referee: Stephen Martin
Attendance: 3,213 (98 away)