Newport County lose 1-0 at Harrogate after Carney mistake

The Sulphurites took the spoils from a drab encounter at Wetherby Road thanks to Toby Sims’ goal in the 40th minute.

He profited from a routine cross being dropped by novice goalkeeper Carney, who was making his League Two debut because Nick Townsend is on international duty with Antigua and Barbuda.

County huffed and puffed in the bid for an equaliser, failing to put Harrogate under any serious stress in a poor-quality encounter and they lost on the road for the fifth time in six attempts this season.

There were positives from defeat at Bradford but few on their return to Yorkshire to face a side who are likely to be in their mini-league.

County have created plenty of chances throughout the season but failed to conjure anything of note in a lacklustre, lethargic effort in Harrogate.

To add to a frustrating afternoon, there were surprise away wins for strugglers Accrington and Morecambe.

County must now try to change the momentum when they welcome Chesterfield to Rodney Parade on Friday.

CHALLENGE: Bobby Kamwa of Newport and Ellis Taylor of Harrogate (Image: Magi Haroun/Huw Evans Agency)

Head coach Nelson Jardim was forced into two changes with Townsend in Bermuda and left-back Anthony Glennon suspended.

Carney was between the sticks for the first time in League Two, with academy prospect Bailey Hopkins on the bench, while co-captain James Clarke returned in a rejigged defence after injury.

He slotted in next to Kyle Jameson in the middle with Ciaran Brennan moving to the right and Cameron Evans switching to the left.

It was a cagey start with the only incident of note in the ninth minute when Carney, showing some of the nerves that would be so costly, unconvincingly gathered on the edge of his area as an attacker closed in.

That was followed by a nasty collision as Clarke headed back to his goalkeeper, with the defender needing lengthy treatment after being clobbered by James Daly.

County had plenty of the ball but it took until the 23rd minute to conjure a first chance, and it took good defending to deny them.

Kieron Evans drove towards goal and then Hudlin shifted the ball to the right before almost getting onto captain Aaron Wildig’s low cross, denied by a sliding challenge by the alert Anthony O’Connor.

That was followed by a good block on the edge of the area at the other end of the ground by Noah Mawene as Dean Cornelius looked to test Carney for the first time.

The only other incident of note was a Matt Daly shot that was high and wide as half-time approached after a rather sleepy encounter in the Yorkshire rain.

Things livened up in the 38th minute when Harrogate broke and Daly had a shot saved by Carney with the ball then hitting Jameson and rolling out for a corner.

That was a close shave but there was no escape two minutes later after Carney’s clanger; the goalkeeper failed to gather a routine cross from Ellis Taylor on the right and Sims took his unexpected chance.

County had a half-chance to respond in the 44th minute when a cross looped up but Mawene failed to connect with a volley on the turn, then Cameron Evans couldn’t quite manage a hit to rival his goal of the month contender for September when space opened up in added time.

The Exiles would have been frustrated to have been behind after such a dour first half in which neither side had created any clear chances.

They needed to up their game in attack and a cleverly-worked corner six minutes after the restart created a shooting chance for Bryn Morris from distance and it was deflected behind.

That corner was swung in for Kyle Hudlin to nod across but Jameson couldn’t hit the target as he stretched to wrap his left foot around the ball.

County were building pressure and Hudlin was unable to seriously test goalkeeper James Belshaw with a header from a Kamwa cross from the left in the 58th minute.

Yet for all the visitors’ possession, it took scrambling defence to deny Stephen Dooley on the hour after it opened up for his driving run, then Taylor dragged a shot wide.

PROBING: Captain Aaron Wildig looks for a way through for County (Image: Magi Haroun/Huw Evans Agency)

Harrogate came close to a second after 66 minutes when a driven cross by Taylor was cleared from close to his line by Brennan with James Daly closing in.

Jardim finally turned to his bench after 71 minutes with winger Michael Spellman and striker Courtney Baker-Richardson called into action for Kamwa and defender Cameron Evans.

That failed to create a momentum swing and another change came in the 81st minute when Mawene limped off and forward Oliver Greaves came on.

The game continued to amble towards the 90 before a chance for Morris in the 89th minute when a corner was cleared to him on the edge of the box.

The midfielder, so potent last season when scoring eight times, dragged his effort wide.

Harrogate almost killed the game off in the second of four added minutes but Carney saved impressively from Matty Daly with his legs.

County worked a chance with seconds to go but Baker-Richardson had a shot blocked behind and then the corner was overhit.

There was to be no late drama and County could have no complaints about another pointless, and this time deflating, away day.

Harrogate goal: Sims.

County: Carney, Brennan, Clarke, Jameson, C Evans (Baker-Richardson 71), Morris, Mawene (Greaves 80), K Evans, Wildig (captain), Kamwa (Spellman 71), Hudlin.

Substitutes: Hopkins, Sanca, Antwi, Greaves, Jephcott.

Yellow: Baker-Richardson.

Referee: Declan Bourne.

Attendance: 2,564.