NEWPORT County AFC top scorer Will Evans has been overlooked again for the League Two player of the month award.

The striker was nominated for the honour after scoring five goals and providing two assists in February but missed out to Doncaster Rovers’ Hakeeb Adelakun.

The judging panel featured former Wolves striker Don Goodman, now a pundit on Sky Sports, plus EFL chief executive Trevor Birch and Sky Bet trader Ivor Davies.

They opted for Adelakun ahead of Evans, former County captain and centre-back Mickey Demetriou and Walsall defender Emmanuel Adeboyega.

Doncaster attacking midfielder Adelakun, on loan from Lincoln, scored three winners in five games and notched four assists to help the Yorkshire side stretch away from relegation trouble.

However, it was another disappointment for Evans after he was also nominated in August, when then Swindon forward Jake Young was winner.

South Wales Argus: Newport County striker Will EvansNewport County striker Will Evans (Image: Lewis Mitchell/Huw Evans Agency)

County’s top scorer netted against Swindon, Walsall, Notts County, Gillingham and Harrogate, while he notched a pair of assists in Yorkshire.

Evans failed to score in just one game in February (Milton Keynes Dons) as he hit the 20-goal mark for League Two - becoming the second County player after Dom Telford to do that since the return to the EFL - and took his total to 24 in all competitions.

However, the 26-year-old failed to join former Exiles Dom Telford (October and November 2021), Frank Nouble (August 2017), Demetriou (April 2017) and Joe Day (April 2019) in winning the League Two award.

Evans is in good company with some of the division's top performers – the likes of Demetriou, Dan Kemp, Davis Keillor-Dunn, Joe Tomlinson, Elliot Lee, Andy Cook, Fraser Horsfall – yet to receive player of the month awards this season.

Nonetheless, Adelakun has had a big impact since heading to Doncaster from the Imps.

He said: “It’s exactly what you want to happen when you join a club - just to get going straight away. It’s been great for me and it’s about continuing that now.

"I'm delighted to have won this award. It's the first one I've had in my career and it's special that it's come at a time when we've been on a really good run of results.

“There’s a good buzz around the place. We all see things coming together, the patterns of play that we’ve been working on, they’re coming out and it’s great to see.”

League Two POTM winners for 2023/24

  • August - Jake Young (Swindon).
  • September - Louie Barry (Stockport).
  • October - Matt Smith (Salford).
  • November - Jake Young (Swindon).
  • December - Dean Lewington (MK Dons).
  • January - Jodi Jones (Notts County).
  • February - Hakeeb Adelakun (Doncaster)