Newport County AFC vs Luton Town FC (28th Nov 2015)

PUBLISHED 17:36 28th November 2015 Hatters sink to defeat to at Rodney Parade

NEWPORT COUNTY AFC 3-0 LUTON TOWN

The Town slipped to their second defeat on the spin as a second-half hat-trick from substitute Oliver McBurnie gave Newport their first home win of the season.

The Hatters came close in the first half with Alex Lawless, Danny Green and Josh McQuoid testing home goalkeeper Joe Day.

But the Town barely threatened in the second half and County sub McBernie – introduced in the 58th-minute – helped himself to a hat-trick in the space of 23 minutes to give the hosts their first victory on home soil since beating the Hatters in March last season.

It all began with the Town showing one change to the side that lost 4-3 to Carlisle on Tuesday. Luke Wilkinson returned to the Town side, replacing Mark O’Brien at centre-half.

And in sodden conditions the Hatters shaded the first half. Lawless came close to opening the scoring in the first five minutes when his left-foot shot from 12 yards was held by Day following McQuoid’s cross from the right.

The greasy surface did not hamper the Town’s football and on 12 minutes the Hatters came mighty close to going in front. Green lined up a shot from 25 yards from a central position but his curling, destined-for-the-top-corner effort was clawed away by Day.

Newport were only offering a threat from high balls from either flank, but the Town defence held firm. At the other end, a superb piece of skill from Olly Lee saw him evade two County men, drive forward and send a low shot goalwards that was deflected behind for a corner.

As half-time approached the Hatters tested Day again on 37 minutes when, on the counter attack, Cameron McGeehan fed McQuoid to drill a shot goalwards from just inside the penalty area that Day parried with Jack Marriott unable to latch onto the loose ball.

After the break the Town continued to create half-chances with McGeehan firing over from distance on 53 minutes before a Green free-kick struck the Newport wall and deflected behind for a corner.

However despite holding the hosts at arms’ length for 67 minutes, County took the lead with their first shot on goal. A low pass into the box from the left found substitute McBurnie and the on-loan debutant steered a finish past Tyler inside the six-yard box.

Behind, the Town bench decided to make a double substitution, bringing on Craig Mackail-Smith and Nathan Doyle for McQuoid and McGeehan respectively.

The Hatters, however, struggled to create a real clear-cut chance and County almost doubled their lead on 76 minutes only for Tyler to keep out Medy Elito’s shot from the edge of the area.

But the Town weren’t so lucky three minutes later when McBurnie doubled his and County’s tally. Alex Rodman’s shot from 20 yards was spilled by Tyler and the young County striker, on loan from Swansea, tapped home to make it 2-0.

But it got worse for the Hatters four minutes from time when McBernie completed his hat-trick and a debut to remember. Tyler gifted the ball to Scott Boden inside the penalty area and the County man squared to the unmarked McBernie to tap home into an unguarded net – and that was that.

TOWN: Tyler; Lawless, Griffiths, Wilkinson, Cuthbert; Smith, Lee (sub McCourt 80), McGeehan (sub Doyle 67), Green; McQuoid (sub Mackail-Smith 67), Marriott. Town subs not used: Okuonghae, Long, Hall, Justham.

Attendance: 2,551, including 451 backing the Town.

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/gallery-newport-3-0-town-2824626.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtxFrUUoZNg

League Two: Newport County 3 Luton Town 0

Luton Town completed an unenviable symmetry this afternoon as yet another late capitulation saw Newport County record their first victory of the season at Rodney Parade.

The Exiles’ long winless run at Rodney Parade had stretched back to March 17, some eight months and 13 games ago, when you guessed it, they beat Luton 1-0.

However, at the interval, it looked like Luton were on their way to a point at the very least in, what were horrific conditions, as they had looked the better of two sides.

But a stunning cameo from striker Oliver McBurnie, borrowed from Premier League Swansea City on Thursday saw him take to the field on 58 minutes and score a 23-minute hat-trick, while Luton sent virtually nothing Joe Day’s way.

To make matters worse, the result saw Hatters fall to 13th in the table, some six points behind the play-offs, with automatic promotion already starting to look beyond them at this relatively early stage, with a 14-point deficit.

The visitors made one change from Tuesday night’s 4-3 defeat to Carlisle United as Luke Wilkinson came in at the back, with Mark O’Brien dropping out of the squad completely.

Magnus Okuonghae was named on the bench alongside Nathan Doyle, while Scott Cuthbert retained the captaincy.

In what were horrific conditions for football, driving rain and a swirling wind, the visitors made a bright enough start to proceedings as Josh McQuoid’s cross was half cleared and Alex Lawless sent a left footer straight at Day.

Although Newport were playing some decent stuff for a side struggling near the bottom, they didn’t have a great deal of threat in the final third as Luton were denied an opener by the brilliance of home keeper Day.

Danny Green picked the ball up 25 yards out and unleashed a magnificent effort that looked to be flying in, but for Day who palmed it behind at full stretch.

Newport went a full half hour before creating their first real opening as Lenell John-Lewis scuffed wide from the edge of the area.

However, Town went straight up the other end and came within a whisker of the lead as Olly Lee broke up play, then beat two markers with a lovely piece of skill.

Driving forward, he went for goal left-footed with the ball deflecting inches wide.

McQuoid went close himself as McGeehan broke with purpose and fed the striker who saw his curler parried by Day, with the rebound cannoning into Marriott before he could adjust his feet in time.

After the break, Hatters, who were decked out in new shirts, looked like they settled into the soggy surroundings better once more, a neat passing move seeing McGeehan fire over.

Green had another go from a free kick which deflected off the wall and wrong footed Day only to go the wrong side of the post.

However, Newport boss John Sheridan opted to bring on McBurnie just before the hour mark and it was to prove the game’s major turning point.

With one of his first touches, he broke the deadlock, escaping Hatters’ statuesque defending to neatly divert a cross past Tyler on 63 minutes, in what had been the Exiles’ first shot on target.

Luton rung the changes too as Craig Mackail-Smith and Doyle came in for McQuoid and McGeehan.

But rather then seeing their side mount any kind of response, if anything, the visitors retreated into their shells, with Newport grabbing the ascendancy and not letting go.

Medy Elito came close to a second as his low shot was stopped by Tyler who grabbed the loose ball ahead of McBurnie.

Hatters couldn’t make any impression on the home goal though as Day enjoyed an easy second period, while Newport had the comfort of a second goal on 79 minutes.

Alex Rodman tried his luck from distance, the ball skipped up off the turf as this time Tyler couldn’t hang on and McBurnie reacted quickest to fire home.

The striker then had his hat-trick with four minutes remaining, with Tyler at fault as the keeper could only clear as far as Scott Boden, who squared for McBurnie to complete his quickfire treble.

County: Joe Day, Medy Elito, Yan Klukowski (Tommy O’Sullivan 58), Zak Ansah (Oliver McBurnie 58), Lenell John-Lewis (Scott Boden 85), Andrew Hughes, Scot Bennett, Matt Partridge, Alex Rodman, Jazzi Barnum-Bobb, Mark Byrne (C).

Subs not used: Joe Green, Matt Taylor, Danny Holmes, Scott Barrow.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Alex Lawless, Scott Griffiths, Scott Cuthbert (C), Luke Wilkinson, Danny Green, Jonathan Smith, Olly Lee (Paddy McCourt 80), Cameron McGeehan (Nathan Doyle 67), Jack Marriott, Josh McQuoid (Craig Mackail-Smith 67).

Subs not used: Elliot Justham, Sean Long, Ryan Hall, Nathan Doyle, Magnus Okuonghae.

Attendance: 2,551 (451 Luton).

Referee: David Coote.

Hatters boss John Still has insisted he is not feeling under pressure despite Luton’s 3-0 defeat at Newport County this afternoon.

The Town chief witnessed his side concede three times in just 23 second half minutes as their hosts won for the first time on home soil this season, continuing a similar theme from Tuesday, where they shipped three in just 14 minutes against Carlisle.

Luton are now six points off the play-offs and a hefty 14 from the top three, but on whether he was feeling the strain, Still said: “When people talk about when you do this job, about the pressure, listen, in all works there’s pressures.

“I do the best job in the world, I do it to the best of my ability and I’ve done it very successfully for a large amount of years.

“At the moment it’s not all that successful, of course it isn’t, well I have to take that on the chin, that’s part of the game.

“In this game you have highs and lows, you have to treat them both the same, never too high with success, never too low with failure.

“It’s disappointing at the moment, players are disappointed at the moment, staff are disappointed at the moment, supporters are disappointed, everyone’s disappointed, but that’s football and I have to take that on the chin.

“It’s been an absolutely disappointing week, a very disappointing week, but that is the week and there’s nothing I can say about that, that’s what’s happened.”

Luton have now taken just one point from a possible nine and on their hopes of being able to mount a promotion challenge this term, Still added: “Of course, every game you go past you don’t win, it’s tough. I don’t know who many games are left, but there’s more than enough games left to put a winning run together.

“But we won’t put a winning run together if we keep giving the goals away we’re giving away at the moment.”

Newport County 3 Luton Town 0

Black Friday, Black Saturday, what's the difference? Bargains were on offer but all Luton got was short-changed and served with a familiar sense of déjà vu.

The Hatters, however, did snag an exclusive deal as the only side to lose at Newport County this term – a buy-one-get-one-free League Two offer cashed in eight months after their last defeat at Rodney Parade.

And after the midweek debacle at home to Carlisle – where they conceded three goals in 14 minutes in a 4-3 home defeat – the last thing Town needed was to get stung by a super sub.

No sooner had Swansea loanee Oliver McBurnie come on to make his County debut had he bagged his first of a 23-minute treble. His opener on 63 minutes was Newport's first shot on target. They only had four all game. Luton are the gift that just keeps on giving to their League Two rivals.

Worse still, this cannot be described as an anomaly for the brittle Hatters. Even ever-reliable goalkeeper Mark Tyler weighed in with the mistakes – with two that led to goals.

Automatic promotion is almost certainly out of reach – 14 points off the top three now – and the jury is still out on a play-off berth.

But they were slightly the better team for an hour and then, at the first sign of adversity, they crumbled and made relegation-threatened Newport look like champions elect.

They're now just as close to the 21st placed Welsh side as they are the play-offs – six points from both. And that, for a club with their ambition, may as well be nowhere.

Manager John Still said: "I don't want to blame Mark. It's not fair because Mark has been brilliant, but it was bit like the other night. A mistake after a mistake and it led to the defeat. Until the goal I thought we controlled the game."

Town certainly had the better chances, with two in the first 15 minutes. First was a tame shot from Alex Lawless and, while goalkeeper Joe Day gathered easily, the County man's next trick was to spectacularly deny Danny Green after the Luton winger had arrowed a long range effort at the top corner.

Much the more threatening in the final third were the Hatters at that stage and only a deflection denied Olly Lee after he twisted skillfully away from two County defenders.

Day then beat away a Josh McQuoid curler, with Jack Marriott just unable to stretch for the rebound and, while they went into the half time interval on terms, there looked to be only one winner.

Then again, at the moment, Luton could go to a free, all-you-can-eat buffet and come away hungry.

McBurnie was introduced on 58 minutes and five minutes later he glanced a low cross past Tyler, but worse was to come for the keeper and Town.

The 38-year-old uncharacteristically spilled a long range Alex Rodman shot that zipped off the sodden turf for the 19-year-old to gobble up the rebound. Then, for good measure, the Hatters keeper tied a big bow on McBurnie's hat-trick, passing straight to Scott Boden who gleefully squared for the striker to slide into an empty net.

It was Christmas come early for County, but for Town, dark times indeed. It's a rough deal.

Newport: Day, Elito, Klukowski (O'Sullivan, 58), Ansah (McBurnie, 58), John-Lewis, Hughes, Bennett, Partridge, Rodman, Barnum-Bobb, Byrne Unused subs: Green, Taylor, Holmes, Barrow, Boden,

Luton: Tyler, Smith, Cuthbert, Lawless, McGeehan (Doyle, 67), Green, Griffiths, Marriott, Lee (McCourt, 78), McQuoid (Mackail-Smith, 67), Wilkinson Unused subs: Justham, Okuonghae, Long, Hall

Referee: David Coote Attendance: 2,551 (451)