County 1 Cheltenham 0

WHILE County boss Anthony Hudson rightly plays down the importance of pre-season results as he seeks new recruits to his squad, Exiles supporters will be far more ebullient as the big kick-off approaches.

It can be a dogs’ life being a manager and one gets the impression that Hudson, like his Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy that has become a new addition to the County family, is straining at the leash for competitive action.

Pre-season can be a drag, but the Amber Army are actually getting a genuine bang for their buck this month.

After seeing FA Cup finalists Stoke take their first tentative step back to life at the top end of English football and welcoming back their Newport-born manager Tony Pulis, County fans once again will have left enthused after Saturday’s fare.

Cheltenham are a division higher than Newport and a week closer to their season curtain raiser and to have won the game is a positive step for County.

To have absolutely dominated the second period and to have kept possession so routinely and maturely is even better.

Man of the match and the match winner, free signing Ismail Yakubu is looking like an absolutely inspired move.

Quick, strong, agile and with an almost magnetic attraction to the ball, he should compliment Gary Warren very nicely. In the absence of the captain of Team GB at the Student Games in China, a man with a cameo role last season continued to show glimpses of his incredible potential.

Tom Miller, a midfielder first and foremost, could easily be a stand-out performer this term. He is destined for better than the Conference and should fill the Jamie Collins void very nicely.

So will a player with a decade more experience in Tommy Doherty. A calm presence with a knack of picking the right pass, he looks another shrewd acquisition.

However, it was down the right flank attention will rightly be focused and Paul Rodgers, ex-Arsenal and Northampton, could be signed as Paul Bignot’s replacement by today.

Another option in that position, Paul Robson, a former Baltimore player who Hudson believes is of Major League Soccer quality, also appears to be on the radar after a good showing.

Ahead of them the Dutch winger Felino Jardim’s guile and pace would appear to have edged him ahead of the myriad of wide midfielders County have entertained on trial this month.

We also got a first look at Elliott Buchanan and he too looked like a fine prospect in a good outing for the Exiles.

Cheltenham have been perennial strugglers in League Two for years now and in reality there are probably less than 20 places between the sides in the Football League pecking order, but nevertheless this was a positive exercise for the hosts.

The visitors were slightly the more threatening side in the first period but that’s only like saying Peter Andre was the least annoying person in the room when interviewed by Kay Burley.

Rodgers was given a tough examination as Cheltenham exhibited decent width and a competitive tempo with Graham Bugasan a stand-out, but the quietly impressive Danny Potter was equal to a couple of half chances.

Within moments of the restart it was all Newport, Jardim cutting in and firing wide before Sido Jombati deflected Doherty’s cross towards the bottom corner of his own goal, Mike Green making a superb reflex save to keep things level.

Jardim was again in the thick of the action as former Bath man Jombati blocked his shot with Green beaten, the former Cambridge flyer claiming for a handball.

Little matter. Two minutes later Danny Rose’s picture perfect cross was met emphatically by Yakubu to give County a lead they never really looked like squandering.

With 15 minutes remaining Buchanan manufactured half a yard of space and whistled a shot just past the upright as the Exiles looked to add insult to injury, but the contest petered thanks to a plethora of substitutions before the visitors almost grabbed a leveller at the death.

A pinpoint cross from the right caused concern in the County six-yard area and Potter saved immaculately after substitute Wayne Hatswell guided the ball towards his own goal.

Another good afternoon for County and with the season two two weeks away, supporters will be full of confidence.

County: Potter, Rodgers (Robson 50), Baker (Hughes 80), Miller, Yakubu (Hatswell 80), Rogers (Greening 80), Rose (Velez 66), Doherty (Smith 80), Buchanan (Ampleford 80), Foley (Matthews 79), Jardim (Soares 76)

Sub not used: Lewis

Cheltenham: Green, Haynes (Andrew 70) Jombati (K Low 70), Elliott (Hoohan 46), Gallinagh, Bird (Lewis 46), Smikle (J Low 62), Summerfield, Duffy (Goulding 46, Pack 74), Spencer (Mohammed 62), Graham

Subs not used: Brown, Bennett, Dann

Referee: Bob Abrams (Bridgwater)

Attendance: 961

Argus star man: Yakubu