PORT PICK UP SECOND SUCCESSIVE VICTORY AT BEATRICE AVENUE

Newport comfortably beat midtable Clanfield on Wednesday evening with a goal in each half. The Island side began slowly but picked up momentum as the game wore on. Clanfield’s number 11 came close to scoring in the 12th minute but was thwarted by an spectacular save from Pitman. It took until the 28th minute for Port to have a serious attempt on goal when impressive full back Michael Thomsett forced a save from Clanfield keeper Craig. Newport’s goal came 4 minutes later when Joe Butcher received a long pass from Aiden Sainsbury, who chested the ball down, then rifled the ball into the back of the net with his left foot from 15 yards (1-0). Clanfield did little to test Port’s back 4, with man-of-the-match Thompsett snuffing out any threat from the away side. Half time: Newport IW 1-0 Clanfield

The Port had further opportunities to increase their lead in the 2nd half. In the 50th minute, McDonough had a free header on the 6-yard line, but the ball bounced harmlessly off the back of his head. Unfortunately, Harri Catania was forced off the pitch injured in the 52nd minute, to be replaced by Henry West. Nicky Vyse had a couple of chances to give Port a 2-goal cushion in the 56th and 58th minutes when first he had a free header easily gathered by the Clanfield keeper and then was denied again by Craig when clean through. Vyse was having a luckless evening when – in a moment of comedy – he was inexplicably booked by accident by referee Tavase for a foul by Charlie Page. Henry West was then yellow carded for kicking the ball away. Clanfield had a rare opportunity to level the score when Jacob Mulligan headed just past Pitman’s post. In the 73rd minute, Joe Butcher put Jordan Browne through, but he was denied a 200th goal in a Newport shirt by a fingertip save from Craig. Substitute Henry West added a 2nd goal for Port, heading the ball into an empty net after being set up by a further header from Butcher in the 75th minute (2-0). In the 84th minute, Aiden Sainsbury came close to scoring a 3rd for the home side, but the ball trickled harmlessly past the post. Steve Brougham put on youngsters Sonny Myram and Lewis Parsons for the last few minutes of the game, but neither were given the opportunity to test the Clanfield defence. Full time: Newport IW 2-0 Clanfield Newport (IW): Pitman, Page (Walsh 61′), Thompsett, Oatley, McDonough (c), Catania (West 52′), Butcher (Parsons 90′), Sainsbury, Browne, Craig, Vyse (Myram 86′) Sub (unused): McInnes (gk) Newport remain 16th in Wessex Division 1 with 25 points from 19 games but have 9 games in hand on the team above: Ringwood Town. The 2-0 win was Leon Pitman’s 1st clean sheet of the season to date. On Saturday, Port travel to the league’s strongest side, Hamworthy Recreation, who have won 17 and drawn 2 of their games in the season to date.