NEWPORT County secured their 27th Gwent Senior Cup triumph on Saturday and it could be their last.

The 2-0 victory over Croesyceiliog, through well-taken goals from youngsters Lee Penry and Ryan Newman, came at a cost for the Exiles.

Captain Gary Warren will serve a one-game ban at the start of next season after being sent off for dissent by referee Darren Adie.

And young striker Ben Cole looks set for a long period on the sidelines after being stretchered off with a suspected broken leg and/or ligament damage following a 50/50 challenge.

Wayne Hatswell played at centre-back alongside Warren and took over managerial duties for the day, but boss Anthony Hudson, who was watching from the touchline, was not a happy man to lose his captain and the highly promising Cole.

The standard of the Abergavenny Thursdays’ pitch and the performance of the referee left a sour taste in the mouth for the Exiles and you have to wonder if they will continue to play in the historic competition.

If they do then Hudson will surely opt to play a full reserve side in future rather than risk the likes of Warren, Hatswell and Scott Rogers and Tom Miller, who also started.

The latter was superb first in attack and then in defence after Warren’s dismissal.

And there were good performances from goalkeeper Jamie Proctor, Penry, who hit the bar minutes before he opened the scoring, Newman, who wrapped up the win in injury time, and right-back James Hamer.

Croesyceiliog battled hard but didn’t take their chances when top scorers Jody Jenkins and Christian Doidge were both through one-on-one with Proctor.

And while County take a hard-earned break, Croesy will now concentrate on trying to secure promotion from the MacWhirter Welsh League Division Two, starting with a win at Abertillery Bluebirds tomorrow.

County: Proctor, Harmer, P Morgan, Hatswell, Warren, Rogers, Newman, Greening, Cole (Williams, 78), Penry, Miller; Subs not used: Thomas, Hitchcock, Fielding, Compton.

Croesyceiliog: Chorley, Morris, Carr, Dewar, Clouth (Southard, 85), Fahey, Miles, Perry, Jenkins, Doidge, Jones (Broad, 72).

Referee: Darren Adie.

Argus star man: Tom Miller.