Match ends, Newport County 2, Stevenage 0.
NewportNewport County2StevenageStevenage0
Ten-man Newport County stretched their unbeaten run in League Two to nine matches with a win over Stevenage.
Aaron O'Connor headed County in front midway through the first half after Lee Minshull flicked on from Ryan Jackson's throw-in.
Darren Jones finished from close range to double their lead, before O'Connor was sent off in injury time for a late challenge on Ron Henry.
Newport's third successive win sees them climb to sixth place in the table.
Newport County manager Justin Edinburgh told BBC Radio Wales:
"Obviously the gloss has been taken off the result in terms of the sending off.
"It was a thoroughly good victory in a dogged game in which there wasn't a lot of football played.
"But when you come up against a strong Stevenage side you know what you have to do well at and we certainly did that."
Stevenage manager Graham Westley told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"Away from home, we've struggled to get our formula right, but we started the game strongly and at the end of 90 minutes I can't say we were physically overrun.
"As an away performance it was much more solid and structured than we've been, but detail is the difference between winning and losing. It's nice to be looking at points of detail, because that means you know you're not a million miles away from getting it right.
"I thought our back three, in open play, defended the threat well and the problems that came our way were from the set-plays that we'd organised ourselves around, but ones where one or two people forgetting the details cost us."
Line-ups
Newport
Formation 3-5-2
- 25Stephens
- 6Yakubu
- 5Jones
- 16HughesSubstituted forObengat 61'minutes
- 2Jackson
- 8Minshull
- 4Porter
- 18Klukowski
- 13Sandell
- 10O'ConnorBooked at 90mins
- 14JeffersSubstituted forByrneat 84'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Pidgeley
- 7Chapman
- 9Howe
- 21Obeng
- 26Poole
- 28Crow
- 33Byrne
Stevenage
Formation 4-4-2
- 16Day
- 3Dembele
- 19Wells
- 23Okimo
- 25Henry
- 7WhelpdaleSubstituted forAdamsat 79'minutes
- 8WaltonSubstituted forJebbat 70'minutes
- 12McAllister
- 22Lee
- 37Barnard
- 20BeardsleySubstituted forBruntat 71'minutesBooked at 89mins
Substitutes
- 1Beasant
- 6Bond
- 11Pett
- 18Parrett
- 24Brunt
- 46Jebb
- 49Adams
- Referee:
- Brendan Malone
- Attendance:
- 2,976
Match Stats
Home TeamNewportAway TeamStevenage
- Possession
- Home55%
- Away45%
- Shots
- Home6
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away1
- Corners
- Home8
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home17
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Newport County 2, Stevenage 0.
Dismissal
Aaron O'Connor (Newport County) is shown the red card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Aaron O'Connor (Newport County).
Post update
Dean Wells (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Lee Minshull (Newport County).
Post update
David McAllister (Stevenage) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Lee Minshull (Newport County) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by David McAllister (Stevenage).
Booking
Lee Barnard (Stevenage) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Bira Dembele.
Post update
Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Dean Wells.
Post update
Attempt missed. Bira Dembele (Stevenage) header from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Post update
Charlie Adams (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Max Porter (Newport County).
Substitution
Substitution, Newport County. Mark Byrne replaces Shaun Jeffers.
Post update
Foul by Andy Sandell (Newport County).
Post update
Ryan Brunt (Stevenage) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Stevenage. Charlie Adams replaces Chris Whelpdale.
Post update
Jerome Okimo (Stevenage) wins a free kick on the right wing.
