Newport City 0-1 Pontypridd Town
Newport City endured their third consecutive defeat with a narrow 1-0 loss at home to Pontypridd Town. Despite the disappointing result, a lively crowd of 340 fans created a fantastic atmosphere under the Friday night lights at Newport Stadium.
The opening half proved to be a largely uneventful affair, with clear-cut chances few and far between. The first real opportunity came at the half-hour mark when Richard Noyes unleashed a volley from the edge of the box, narrowly sending it over the bar. Soon after, Calum Bateman nearly broke the deadlock, rounding the goalkeeper after latching onto a loose ball, only to see his effort from a tight angle tapped just inches wide.
Pontypridd posed a threat through a free kick on the edge of the area, but Ashley Evans’ strike sailed just over. City responded well and almost took the lead shortly before the break when Owen Bancroft’s close-range header from a corner was deflected over by a whisker. That would be the final notable moment in what was a lacklustre first half.
HT 0-0
The second half picked up where the first left off, with both sides struggling to create serious opportunities. The first notable chance fell to Ethan Wynne, whose deflected shot from the edge of the area drifted wide.
City finally came close to breaking the deadlock, when Owen Bancroft’s powerful header from a corner was brilliantly saved at point-blank range by Pontypridd goalkeeper, Cameron Clarke, inside the six-yard box.
The visitors began to apply pressure, with Keston Ellis narrowly missing the right post with an acrobatic effort following a corner. Their persistence paid off just a few minutes later when they broke the deadlock in the 78th minute. A high ball into the box found Jarrad Wright, who rose above the defence to power home a towering header.
Buoyed by the goal, Pontypridd came close to doubling their lead on several occasions. Richard Noyes was forced into clearing a Jamie Veale header off the line, while Joe Evans curled a close-range effort just wide of the right post. Cole Mace almost sealed the game late on for the visitors, but was thwarted after his low strike inside the area was well blocked by Cohen Riella.
City pushed hard in stoppage time, flooding the visitors’ area in a desperate attempt to salvage a draw, but their efforts fell short as they couldn’t find the decisive breakthrough. In the end, the Steelmen will be left disappointed not to have taken anything from a match that lacked quality on occasions.
FT 0-1
Newport City Line-Up:
Riella, Noyes, Cuddihy (Sub: Taylor St Clair), Cooper, Wynne, Caramella-Gerrard ©, Bancroft, Bateman, Jones, Cotterill (Sub: Phillips), Mackenzie
Subs not used – Taylor, Westhead, John, Ogugua, Bloom