Injuries and Bestival meant that it was a changed Newport IW FC side that faced Whitchurch Utd at a sunny St George’s Park on Saturday afternoon.
Newport IW kicked off attacking the allotment end. Whitchurch Utd created the first chance after 4 minutes when Danny Phillips outpaced the Newport defence and raced towards goal, only to be thwarted by stand-in keeper Joe McCormack by the near post and eventually Newport scrambled the ball away for a corner.
Newport took the lead on 14 minutes when the ball was crossed from the right, Joe Butcher and visiting keeper Craig Alford both went for it, but it broke to Josh Maloney who steered it into the net from ten yards. Shortly afterwards, Darren Powell slipped the ball through to Liam Bennett, but although he created space for himself, his shot was off target.
Brad Walsh was shown a yellow card for a strong tackle on Liam Newbold and on 36 minutes, Joe Butcher fired in a good shot from the edge of the penalty area, only to see Craig Alford push it over the bar for a corner.
Whitchurch equalised a couple of minutes before half time when the Newport defence failed to clear the ball and Andre Manders played the ball through to Jack McCarthy who volleyed the ball low into the net.
Neither side had created many opportunities in the first half, relying on the long ball which both defences comfortably dealt with.
Whitchurch’s second yellow card was shown to Andre Manders for a foul on Darren Powell then soon after Josh Maloney floated the ball into the goal area and in the scramble that followed, Spike Pearce was brought down. Josh Maloney duly dispatched the penalty into the net on 51 minutes.
Liam Bennett was then shown a yellow card before he played a ball into the goal area; the cross eluded everybody except Josh Maloney who steered it into the net from close range for Newport’s third on 54 minutes and complete his hat trick.
Whitchurch were reduced to ten men when McCaulie Stubbs was shown a red card for an off the ball incident. With a man advantage, Newport began to put the Whitchurch defence under more pressure however from a Whitchurch free kick, Joe McCormack produced a fine save to block Ali Brown’s close range header.
Newport made a double substitution on 68 minutes bringing on Connor Kelly and Liam Triggs for Ryan Thomas and Jimmi Burton. While the substitutions were taking place, Andre Manders was shown a second yellow card for dissent meaning Whitchurch were reduced to nine men.
Both substitutes were involved in the fourth goal on 72 minutes when Liam Triggs raced down the left before laying the ball into the path of Connor Kelly who drove it low into the net. Newport’s final substitution saw Scott Saunders, a new signing from East Cowes, come on for Liam Bennett.
Newport went further ahead on 81 minutes when the ball broke to Liam Triggs near the penalty spot from where he blasted it into the net.
Whitchurch then made their only substitution, bringing on Brad Snelling for Dave Parry. Newport’s sixth goal came from Josh Maloney who scored his fourth with a 20 yard drive. During the final 10 minutes, the play was almost entirely in the Whitchurch half. In a rare Whitchurch attack, Jack McCarthy was brought down in the penalty area by Ryan Oatley and Brad Snelling drove the penalty low into the net. There was barely time for Newport to kick off before the final whistle blew.
An excellent result for Newport following on from three consecutive league defeats. They had already established a 3-1 lead before Whitchurch were reduced to ten men. The victory moves Newport up six places to thirteenth in the league table.
Elsewhere, Blackfield & Langley won their FA Cup tie with a last minute goal at Cheltenham Saracens, so Tuesday’s Hampshire Senior Cup tie at Blackfield & Langley will now go ahead.
FT: Newport 6-2 Whitchurch Utd
