Poole roared out of the blocks in this one determined to make hay while the sun shone. All Friday, overnight and this morning it had been raining hard and the wind howling. At 2pm the sky cleared and bathed the Tatnam in glorious sunshine, showing off Chris Kelly’s handiwork at it’s best which for the second week running, drew admiring comments from the visiting dignitaries.
Kevin Gill lit up the Newport area in the first half like a pinball machine with a constant string of crosses and lobs for our two front men to work with. From one of the first of these, Stu Brown had a header saved on 2 minutes and Jamie Bray in the Newport goal did well to hold his team in the game as Poole piled on the early pressure. It was a one man show though and too often Bray was strung out to dry by a defence that went missing time and time again throughout the entire game.
Poole won a corner on 7 minutes which was headed clear to land at Kevin Gill’s feet. He drove the ball back in, which Austin mule kicked at to help it deflect past Bray and Poole went one up. Austin claimed it, but Gill’s shot was goalbound. Austin and Brown were causing mayhem up front and the two combined on 11 minutes with Brown’s shot from Austin’s flick on being saved by Bray.
Newport could barely retain possession during this period and when Gill stole the ball and set up Austin with a lob that the big man swiped in to cannon off the post on 14 minutes it brought some serious comment amongst the visitors ranks. The shouting seemed to gel their concentration momentarily and they finally got a shot on target with a lob from Smeeton that Jason easily caught. Seconds later Harvell had to make a full save from a more powerful shot, let loose by O’Rourke and Newport had signalled their arrival in the game, if a little late.
Their new found momentum wasn’t dampened any when Austin scored again on 24 minutes. Gill again turned provider with a shot forward that sent Austin chasing one-on-one with Bray having shook of his marker. He drove the ball low across Bray’s dive into the far side of the goal for his second of the day. A minute later and Austin was through again, this time set off from Poore’s lob forward, but Austin’s shot ran into the side netting having curled by the post.
On 29 minutes, Newport got their reward for really digging in deep and won a free kick on the edge of Poole’s area. Taken short , it was crossed in from the bye line across goal to an unmarked Mark Watson at the far post who drove home an unstoppable shot in to make it 2-1.
Now with their tails up the visitors slowly gained the upper hand and Poole got all out of shape again. An equaliser looked more on the cards if the home side couldn’t snatch number three quickly and when it came it took everyone by surprise. On 37 minutes, Poole were again defending their goal well, Lamin’s long legs snuffed out another dangerous move and he cleared the ball up field once more. The ball landed in front of Przepolewski who just blasted it back goalward from 25 plus yards. It flew into the net without anyone moving a muscle to intercept it. Level at 2-2.
Now it was all out footy from both sides , and Gill again was in thick of it once more, He won a freekick that Carl Poore drove in for Simon Browne to head just over starting another period of Poole pressure. Lamin’s long ball up to Taffy on 45 minutes, saw the old warhorse have two one-on-one shots from close range both of which Bray managed to stop, but the clearance was soon back at Gill’s feet and again he was cut down , this time right on the edge of the area. Billy Pearce, stepped up to take the free-kick, which he left-footed over the wall and under the bar, with a cracker to restore Poole’s lead. Half-time immediately followed the restart and the whole ground drew breath.
Half-time 3-2
Newport switched Seabrook for O’Rourke to start the second half, but again it was Poole who were off to the races as the dark clouds again began to gather. Within two minutes, Gill lobbed the defence and once more Austin drilled the ball past Bray one-on-one as the visitors defenders went AWOL. Poole lead 4-2.
They made it 5-2 on 50 minutes, when Stu Brown anticipated a lazy pass between two of the Newport back line and then ran one-on-one with poor old Bray to slot him once more. In the next 10 minutes, Bray performed miracles to stop a rout, as Austin and Brown and Co. were tearing up men in yellow. Dibba’s header off a corner was saved and Austin had a header pushed over and two more shots go wide and Brown a couple too as Newport fell apart.
Time for the subs and Tom put on Dan Taylor for his debut in place of Billy Pearce who was not having a particularly good game by his standards. But then on 60 minutes, replaced the ‘on fire’ Brown and Austin with Swann and Steve Smith. It upset Poole’s momentum entirely and suddenly Newport were back in the game again. They got a third goal that aided that momentum in the 62nd minute, more by luck, or bad luck as Jason mishandled an innocuous lob from Darren Powell that dropped from his grasp and rolled over the line. The post felt the full vent of Jason’s frustration but it stood. 5-3.
With the game running 50-50 now there was some nervousness around the ground but then a piece of pure magic from the Laminator restored Poole’s comfort zone. He won the ball in midfield by sheer persistence then lobbed the entire Newport defence. Steve Smith read his mind perfectly and was clear on Bray having beaten the offside and slotted the defenceless Bray for the third time in the half. Poole lead 6-3.
Newport sent in their last two subs on 70 minutes, for one final throw of the dice but then the heavens opened up and the torrential rain dampened the effort and then their hopes were washed away almost entirely when Mark Watson limped off injured on 75 minutes and they were forced to continue with 10 men. With 10 minutes left, the rain eased off and battle again commenced at full measure but Poole had their head as finishing post hove into view.
Jack Swann shot wide and another bend over the bar from an acute angle, Dan Taylor danced and splashed his way around the deep end (over the far side from the stand and the clubhouse) and blazed his only shot wide and Micky Hubbard, sliced across goal and past the post, after precision passing all afternoon. Of the rest, Steve Smith menaced constantly and got his goal, Lamin had played with a sore knee, but you would hardly have guessed it and Luke covered his side of the park, unbeaten all day. Taffy was everywhere and Carl Poore put in another display of sheer class as did Simon Browne. But the sheer potency of Kevin Gill’s tenacious play on and off the ball backing up the inform duo of Austin and Brown with four goals between them , gave this Poole performance a star rating. Newport played well and never looked beaten and full credit to them, but this Poole team slammed six past them on the day and could have had a hatful more. Finally a mention is worthy on the officiating team who played their part excellently too, allowing a good-tempered game to flow so fluidly that you hardly knew they were there. Well done, Gents.
