Baglan Dragons 2-2 Newport City

Newport City managed to secure a dramatic last-minute draw against Baglan Dragons, salvaging a crucial point after back-to-back league defeats. A tense match where the Steelmen were eager to avoid a third consecutive loss, they fought hard and showed resilience, equalising in the dying moments to deny Baglan all three points.

The opening 20 minutes proved to be a tight affair, with clear cut opportunities coming at a premium. The first meaningful opportunity came when James Bloom struck from the edge of the area, but Baglan’s keeper Mathew Stanton made a comfortable save.

The Steelmen, however, found themselves behind in the 21st minute as the Dragons capitalised from slack defending. Thomas Davies caught City’s back line off guard as he dispossessed the ball from a stray back pass inside the area, before calmly slotting a low effort into the back of the net. 

Despite this setback, City responded with renewed urgency and nearly equalised soon after. Luke Cooper’s towering header from a corner narrowly missed the target, while Owen Bancroft’s goal bound strike was deflected wide.

Baglan weathered the Steelmen’s pressure and came close to doubling their lead on multiple occasions. Davies fired just wide of the post, while Kieran Parsons’ spectacular overhead kick skimmed the roof of the net. Cohen Riella had to stay alert, as he punched away a dangerous free kick around the post to keep his side in contention.

Thankfully, City capitalised on Baglan’s missed chances four minutes before the interval. A superb cross from Louis Caramella-Gerrard found Bancroft, who expertly volleyed the ball into the net for the leveller. Bancroft nearly added a second in first-half stoppage time with a powerful strike from distance, but Stanton was there to deny him again, ensuring a thrilling end to the half.

 

HT 1-1

The Steelmen started the second half with increased energy; and almost took the lead shortly after the restart. Bancroft unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the area, forcing a sharp save from Stanton. Stanton then reacted swiftly to smother Calum Bateman’s follow-up effort, denying City a promising chance to edge ahead.

The miss proved costly for City, as the Dragons regained the lead at the hour mark. A long throw into the box caught the Steelmen’s defenders off guard once again, allowing Baglan skipper Lewis Holmes to rise unchallenged and power a header into the net. Stunned by the setback, City nearly conceded again minutes later when Jay Thomas’s curling low shot was expertly grasped by Riella.

Baglan continued to press, rattling the Steelmen with a series of relentless attacks that kept Riella busy in goal. City’s area turned chaotic when they failed to clear a corner, with Riella forced to parry a point-blank header from Kieran Parsons. Moments later, a free-kick from Jack Fleming was parried by Riella, who recovered quickly to deny Dylan Thomas’s close-range follow-up. Riella’s heroics didn’t end there, as he produced yet another critical save, blocking a powerful strike from Artiom Legavec to keep the Steelmen within reach.

City eventually weathered the storm and launched an all-out assault in search of an equaliser. They created a series of golden opportunities, with Bloom and Cooper both narrowly missing the target on promising chances. Bateman also tested Stanton with a low, fizzing strike that the keeper managed to gather. As the game neared its conclusion, Bateman was sent through on goal in a swift counter attack, but he was thwarted by heroic last-ditch blocks from the recovering Baglan defenders, keeping City just inches away from levelling the score.

The Steelmen’s relentless late pressure finally paid off in the 92nd minute with a crucial equaliser. Josh Graham skillfully worked his way down the right flank and delivered a precise cross into the six-yard box, where Ethan Wynne timed his run perfectly to slot the ball in at the near post. This dramatic goal proved to be the last big moment of the match, allowing City to halt their two-game losing streak and secure a hard-fought point that felt like a deserved reward for their resilience.

FT 2-2

 

Newport City Line-Up:

Riella, Cuddihy, Cooper, Wynne, Caramella-Gerrard © (Sub: Westhead), Bateman, Jones (Sub: Atkinson), Phillips (Sub: Graham) John (Sub: Noyes) Bloom

Subs Not Used: Burden, Hooper