County 1 Torquay 2

NEWPORT County extinguished any lingering doubts about their ability to compete if they are promoted to the Conference after producing a performance to savour on and off the field on Saturday.

Quite simply this was the best of the Exiles in every respect; on the field Peter Beadle's side were more than a match for high-flying Torquay United and came within a whisker of causing a cup shock in this Second Round FA Trophy clash.

They did it playing football to relish, an attractive style that was a million miles from Torquay's Crazy Gang-style long-ball bombardment.

Off the field County's supporters were passionate and impeccably behaved for their biggest attendance of the season, supporting their team with a gusto that is rarely found outside the top divisions.

The County directors - the same ones who questioned if the club was ready for promotion a year ago - organised proceedings extremely well, proving unequivocally that lessons have been learned since the Swansea City debacle last season.

And huge credit also goes to Tony Gilbert and his staff for getting the game on at all. The huge amount of rain last week had many expecting a postponement, but if anything the surface was slightly better than when Hayes & Yeading recently visited. It's a measure of the progress County have made that the majority of supporters will have left the ground on Saturday disappointed that the Exiles failed to win a game they controlled for long periods.

The Exiles were on top after Mark Dodds' exquisite equaliser, and for a period in the second half they battered the visitors.

Once again County's downfall was engineered by an inability to take their chances at crucial times and they paid the price.

Winger Jason Bowen's incisiveness was a big miss, his knee injury forcing Charlie Griffin out to the right and giving Julian Alsop a chance to start.

Alsop was a big presence, as ever, and is not showing the signs of his advancing years and dodgy ankle, he was used correctly on Saturday and caused Torquay a lot of trouble.

What a shame that he was so unyieldingly punished by referee James Linington, a staggering 11 fouls given against the giant number nine!

It was akin to watching the way Continental referees deal with Peter Crouch or our own John Hartson, and it rather stifled the Exiles in the second half.

An even first half exploded into life in the first minute, Glyn Thompson's fumble allowing Elliot Benyon an acute chance that he misdirected.

The visitors were determined to start strongly and they got the all-important breakthrough on six minutes, with Thompson again making a rare mistake.

The goal came via the tiny Danny Stevens, who may be small in stature but is huge in ability, his was the real standout performance of the afternoon.

His teasing cross was flapped at by Thompson and Chris Hargreaves tapped home.

But if anything the goal merely galvanised County, they roared back at the Gulls and equalised within two minutes.

Ian Hillier's long throw - becoming a massive feature for the Exiles - was flicked on by Alsop into a crowded penalty area.

Defender Mark Dodds - who replaced the suspended Lee Jarman - took a step back from his marker, moving into space and getting in position to unleash a stunning left-footed volley over his shoulder that crashed in the roof of the net.

Spytty Park was suddenly electric and the Exiles passed the ball in a manner that suggested it was they who were the established Conference challengers.

Hillier and the ever-impressive Lee Fowler both went close from range as the half wore on, with winger Chris Zebroski twice firing over for the visitors.

On the stroke of half-time Nathan Davies squandered a decent opportunity as his shot was deflected, but the Exiles remained in the ascendancy after the interval.

Just before the hour Fowler combined with Craig Hughes, who charged down the left, producing a fabulous cross for Charlie Griffin.

Griffin controlled - when perhaps he should've shot first time - and fired at goalkeeper Michael Poke, who could only deflect the ball back to Alsop, but his header was brilliantly saved.

Alsop was soon in the action again, starting a move with a defensive block in Torquay's final third, deflected into the direction of Hughes. He controlled magnificently and burst clear after a picture-perfect one-two with Alsop, but Poke denied him with a quite brilliant stop.

Fowler and Davies then repeated the trick as Fowler's effort was saved before the visitors' sucker-punch goal with 20 minutes left.

Stevens (an ex-team-mate of Ian Hillier at Luton Town) was again the architect after a thrilling run and his cross was again perfect for Hargreaves, who poked home.

The Exiles tried in vain to find what would have been a deserved equaliser, but the closest they came was when substitute Jermaine Clarke controlled and fired in a volley, but his effort looped agonisingly over the bar.

A great day for County in a competition pretty far down on their list of priorities. Rarely has defeat been so satisfying.

County: Thompson, Jenkins, Searle (O'Sullivan 84), Davies, Dodds, Hillier, Griffin, Fowler, Alsop (Clarke 76), Hughes, R Evans.

Subs not used: A Evans, Simpson, Pennock.

Booked: Hughes (foul, 62) Alsop (foul, 72), O'Sullivan (foul, 87).

Torquay: Poke, Hinshelwood, Nicholson (Mullings 66), Woods, Todd, Stills, Benyon (Thompson 84), Hargreaves, Hockley, Stevens, Zebroski.

Subs not used: Rice, Bedeau, Ellis.

Booked: Zebroski (foul, 45), Ellis (foul, 77) Referee: James Linington (Newport I.O.W).

Attendance: 1510.