County 1 Worcester 0

NEWPORT County ended the year on a high with a 1-0 win over Worcester City at Spytty Park.

It’s fair to say 2008 has been a year to forget for the Exiles but Adie Harris’ seventh minute free-kick gave them only their fourth league win of the season and reason for renewed optimism going into the new year.

Manager Dean Holdsworth made one change from last Saturday’s 3-0 loss at AFC Wimbledon with Aaron Cook replacing Ashley Vickers in central defence.

He also gave Craig Hughes a more attacking role with the striker moving from wide on the left to support Craig Reid up front in a 4-4-2 formation.

On a bitterly cold Boxing Day afternoon Paul Cochlin warmed the hands of visiting keeper Danny McDonnell with a looping header from a free-kick after just two minutes and County were ahead five minutes later through Harris.

The diminutive midfielder swung in a speculative free-kick from wide on the left which somehow evaded everyone, including McDonnell, to nestle in the far corner of the Worcester goal.

It was no more than the Exiles deserved after an enterprising start in which they dominated possession.

They had the ball in the net again on 15 minutes when a near-identical free-kick from Harris was prodded in by Cook on the line but the celebrations were quickly curtailed by an assistant’s flag.

McDonnell was then forced to beat away an in-swinging corner from Kevin Cooper that threatened to go straight in. The ball fell to Reid six yards out only for the referee to blow up for a non-existent foul on the keeper.

The visitors had their first real effort on goal on 25 minutes when Matt Dinsmore turned his man well and forced Glyn Thompson into a neat save, diving low to his left to smother the danger.

The tricky winger went close again two minutes later, seeing his close-range shot tipped over by Thompson after a long throw from Gary Walker that rivalled Rory Delap’s efforts for Stoke City.

Worcester were beginning to get back into it and Walker wasted a good chance on the half hour mark, hastily blasting a long-range shot high over Thompson’s bar.

But County continued to threaten and had Graham Ward not intercepted Hughes’ cut-back for Reid five minutes before the break it surely would have been 2-0.

As it was, Holdsworth’s men were fortunate to have their lead intact as Worcester’s Jamie Price saw his vicious drive beat Thompson and clear the bar by a matter of inches just a minute later.

Five minutes after the interval Danny Rose sprang into life with a wonderful right-foot drive from 30 yards, which McDonnell did well to hold.

The former Manchester United reserve team captain then set Reid through on goal but a combination of McDonnell and defender Jon Richardson snuffed out the danger.

County reached the hour mark in front but there was a growing sense among the home fans that they required another goal to make the game safe and that they could live to regret their profligacy.

Dinsmore once again caused Thompson problems, the normally reliable keeper dropping the ball under pressure on the edge of the box, before Craig Wilding twice went close.

The Worcester captain first saw his fierce drive tipped over and then headed just too high from the resulting corner.

Thompson was then rescued by the referee’s whistle as he once again dropped the ball after minimal contact from Wilding, another sign of mounting pressure from the visitors.

County were certainly hanging on in the latter stages and Rose was the hero in the third minute of injury time, brilliantly clearing Tom Kemp’s header off the line, but they deservedly held Worcester at bay to claim a precious three points.

County: Thompson, Bignot, Giles, Turk, Cook, Cochlin, Rose, Hughes, Reid (Klein-Davies, 85), Harris, Cooper. Subs not used: Jenkins, Vickers, Armitage, James Worcester: McDonnell, Ward (Heeley, 90), Khan, Richardson, Barnes, Kemp, Walker, Price, Wilding, Adaggio (Davies, 73), Dinsmore.

Subs not used: Fitzpatrick, Dodd.

Booked: Barnes, 72 Referee: Stephen Phipps Attendance: 822 Argus star man: Paul Cochlin