County 3 Dover 0
IT DOESN’T get much better than this for Newport County fans.
In blazing sunshine under a cloudless blue sky, more than 3,000 supporters created a carnival atmosphere even before the match had kicked off at Spytty Park on Saturday.
And the Exiles players responded to the party mood by beating their closest rivals at a canter to rack up 100 points before collecting their championship medals and lifting the Blue Square South trophy.
Yes, April 17, 2010, will go down as one of the best days in the club’s history. A perfect day for everyone connected with the club, from manager Dean Holdsworth to the retiring Spytty the Dog.
It was first against second as the sides took to the pitch but this was no title decider. It was a coronation.
The Dover players commendably formed a guard of honour as County captain Gary Warren led the champions out of the tunnel and it was appropriate that the visitors were made to look very much second best once the match got under way.
They are not the only ones who have gone away from Newport with their tails between their legs, of course.
With this victory Holdsworth’s side completed the entire season unbeaten at fortress Spytty, and with only three defeats on the road, they have proved themselves the best side in the division by a distance.
That distance is currently 25 points with Chelmsford having overtaken Dover in second place with one game to go.
And County are not just the best side in the Blue Square South this season, they are now officially the best side to have played in the division, having overtaken the Grays side of 2004/05 who finished on 98 points.
It’s an astonishing achievement for the squad and the management team and an accolade they truly deserve after a magical campaign that will live long in the memory.
After last week’s unexpected drubbing at Havant & Waterlooville, Holdsworth wanted a reaction from his players and he certainly got one.
Kerry Morgan came in for Dave Gilroy in the only change to the starting line-up but the team was transformed, determined not to dampen the post-match festivities with another below-par performance.
And it was the little wizard from Swansea who got the party started on the pitch, taking advantage of some calamitous defending from the hulking Olly Schultz to poke the ball past Ross Flitney with just over a minute on the clock.
It was a fabulous way for the winger to say goodbye to the Exiles fans if this is indeed to be his last appearance at Newport Stadium with a return to the Liberty beckoning after next week’s trip to Braintree.
From the moment the ball hit the back of the Dover net the result was never really in doubt and it allowed everyone to relax and enjoy the occasion.
The Whites, who had won eight on the bounce before Saturday to secure their place in the play-offs, offered plenty of nice approach play but looked toothless in attack.
County, lining up in an Arsenal-style 4-2-3-1 formation with Morgan, Danny Rose and Charlie Henry supporting lone striker Craig Reid, were anything but toothless and looked capable of scoring with every surge forward.
After Glyn Thompson had shown his undoubted quality with a brilliant double save from Shaun Welford and Dean Hill in the eighth minute, defender Chris Todd extended the lead after a quarter of an hour.
The defender got on the end of Rose’s perfectly flighted corner from the right to head past Flitney and notch his third of the campaign.
Aside from Morgan’s unfortunate collision with the perimeter fencing and a speculative volley from Dover captain Nicky Southall, the rest of the first period passed by without major incident.
The early goals had killed the contest and there was a sense that everyone, the players included, was simply waiting for the final whistle.
It was the unlikely figure of Paul Bignot, a real unsung hero this season, who interrupted the crowd’s contented reverie midway through the second half.
The right back produced an outrageous piece of skill to beat his man and superb composure to pick out Rose with a neat cross at the far post.
The midfield playmaker found the corner of Flitney’s net with a flicked header and the stadium erupted like an Icelandic volcano.
After that it was only Holdsworth’s substitutions that caught the imagination.
First Sam Foley rose like Lazarus from the bench to replace Rose just four weeks after fracturing his leg at Thurrock.
Next Gilroy came on for Morgan, who received a standing ovation for his fabulous contribution on the day and throughout his time at the club.
And finally, as Trevor McDonald would put it, Keiron Blackburn got his chance in goal.
Finally, after a whole season as loyal deputy to Thompson, he was given three minutes between the posts and his every touch was cheered to the rafters.
A perfect day was complete.
County: Thompson (Blackburn, 87), Bignot, Collins, Turk, Warren, Todd, Rose (Foley, 69), Rogers, Reid, Morgan (Gilroy, 72), Henry.
Subs not used: Ake, Cochlin Dover: Flitney, Walder (Cloke, 64), Rogers, Hill, Schultz, Tabiri, Southall, Moore, Welford, Birchall, Wallis.
Subs not used: Leberl, Miller, Hessenthaler, Whitemore.
Booked: Shultz.
Referee: Matt Foley (London).
Attendance: 3,021.
Argus star man: Danny Rose.
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