Newport returned to good form with a comprehensive 5-2 win over Romsey Town at Beatrice Avenue on Wednesday evening.
This was Port’s 1st win in 2025 after a 5-game winless run since beating Alresford Town on 14th December.
Beatrice Avenue is far from a happy hunting ground for Romsey, having lost 7-0 to East Cowes Vics earlier in the season. The Hampshire side also have a poor record against Isle of Wight sides on their home ground, having lost the corresponding fixture 1-3 back in September and going down 0-1 to Vics on Saturday.
Romsey began the game brightly, with Marcinkowski scoring his 1st goal for the club with a shot that rebounded off the inside of the upright in the 10th minute (0-1).
Port got back on level terms 4 minutes later from a towering Michael Thompsett header on the edge of the 6-yard box from a Josh Younie corner (1-1).
Port then soaked up Romsey pressure with Leon Pitman making some vital interventions and last-ditch tackles from Port defenders preventing the away side from regaining the lead.
On the half hour mark – against the run of play – Brad Young put Port into the lead with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area that bounced off the upright (2-1).
Young was then booked shortly before half time for a supposedly dangerous tackle that had brought a theatrical reaction from his opponent.

Half time: Newport IW 2-1 Romsey Town
The 2nd half began with a booking for Henry West after a foul in a dangerous position on the edge of the Port penalty area, but Romsey failed to take advantage of the resulting free kick.
Brad Young was then taken off to be replaced by powerful forward Sam Cant.
Port increased their lead in the 63rd minute with a long shot from Jez Conway into the far corner – his 1st goal since transferring from Cowes Sports (3-1).
3 minutes later, Thompsett bagged his brace with a glancing header from a Joe Butcher corner (4-1).
Port then made a series of substitutions, with George Holbrook, Keelan Walsh and Harry Taylor coming on for Caelen Goldberg, Henry West and Jez Conway.
Romsey continued to put up a fight, with Mellor pulling a goal back for the away side 10 minutes from full time – also his first goal for the club (4-2).
In the 83rd minute, Sam Cant came close to making victory certain for Port but blasted the ball over the crossbar from a promising position.
In the 2nd minute of injury time, Cant was brought down in the penalty area. Thompsett stepped up to take the resulting spot kick; the ball was saved by Bartram, with Thompsett basting the rebound into the back of the net to bag his hat trick.
Full time: Newport IW 5-2 Romsey Town
Newport IW: Pitman, Thompsett, Goldberg ((Holbrook), West (Walsh), Watterson (c), Oatley, Younie, Butcher, Young (Cant), Grace, Conway (Taylor)
Man-of-the-match: Michael Thompsett
Newport’s win sees them rise 1 place in the table to 7th, with 39 points from 24 games, 8 points behind Hamworthy United in the 4th playoff position, with a game in hand.
This Saturday, Port travel to Berkshire to face 13th-placed Aldermaston.