Newport IOW 2 Winchester City 0

British Gas Business Southern League Div One S&W

A Winchester City side missing seven players through injury, suspension and unavailability battled well but ultimately could not match a Newport side captained by former City favourite, Ian Buckman. City, reverting to 4-4-2, showed four changes from Saturday, giving first team debuts to veteran, Paul Marks, and reserve striker, Jon Malone, as a substitute. Although Steve Moss named himself on the bench, the side was still one sub short.

The City side not surprisingly lacked cohesion early on, but still had the first real chance after 15 minutes. A typically mazy run from Pete Smith led to his shot which was deflected for a corner, from which Jamie Musselwhite was just too high with his header. Newport hit back through Mick McEnery who got clear on the right, but was well enough marshalled by Andy Darnton to fluff his shot tamely at Dave Hook.

What turned out to be City’s best chance of the game came after half an hour, when Christer Warren and Musselwhite combined well down the right, with Musselwhite putting a shot right across the face of the goal and just beyond the far post.

City were gradually dominating possession, but a succession of long balls meant that Darnton and Marks were always busy at the back. Newport worked another opening, putting Darren Powell clear, but Hook literally took the ball off his toes. Smith, having yet another good game, burst through again at the other end, beating three players, but the final defender sneaked the ball away as he shaped to shoot. Another good City run, this time from Lloyd Webber, gave Tom Biggs the chance to shoot, but the Newport keeper, Andrew Smallpiece, who trialled for City in pre-season, got down well to save.

However, Hook was certainly the busier keeper, and after 41 minutes, the offside flag stayed down as Ashley Wright, on as a substitute for the injured McEnery, was put clear, took the ball around the City keeper and shot beyond Smith’s desperate lunge into an empty net. Half time: Newport 1 City 0.

Yet another through ball gave Newport the first chance of the second period, Powell getting in behind the defence once more, but he put his shot wide when it might have been easier to score. City were very certainly still in the game, and from a poorly cleared corner, Marks put Musselwhite in on the right, but his shot was straight at the keeper. Just as City were beginning to impose themselves on the game, Newport broke in numbers and a short ball across the area left Sam Hart unmarked to score in the top corner after an hour.

City were enjoying the lion’s share of the possession, but chances were becoming thin on the ground. Following another good run into the box, Smith’s pass was just cut out before it reached an unmarked Biggs. At the other end, a crisp Buckman shot from the left edge of the area went just past the far post with Hook at full stretch. Webber had a trademark long shot saved by the keeper in the last few minutes, as the game wound down to a conclusion, with City getting plenty of the ball without really threatening to save the game.

City have a break from league action this weekend, entertaining Chatham Town in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup, kick off 3pm at the Denplan City Ground on Saturday.

Winchester City: Hook, Wyeth, Smith, Marks, Wakefield, Darnton, Webber, Warren, Biggs (Malone), Musselwhite, Davis. Unused subs: Mealey, Lovell, Moss