FC HRADEC KRALOVE 2 NEWPORT COUNTY AFC 0

A GOAL either side of the break saw Newport County slip to a 2-0 defeat against Czech Republic Premier League side FC Hradec Kralove in Walbrzych, Poland.

The match was the second friendly of the Exiles’ two-game tour to Poland, the first of which County won on Wednesday when they beat KS Polkowice by the same scoreline.

Kralove made the early running and went close to opening the scoring when they struck the woodwork inside the first 10 minutes.

The Czech outfit did take the lead on 18 minutes, a close-range effort coming after County keeper James Bittner had saved the initial attempt.

County’s response was positive and Jack Compton’s dangerous cross was tipped behind for a corner by the Kralove stopper.

Mark Randall went into the referee’s notebook for a foul which led to a free-kick that missed the target.

Warren Feeney’s men thought they had equalised on 37 minutes but Sean Rigg’s strike was ruled out for offside.

County boss Feeney made two changes at the break, replacing Darren Jones and Scot Bennett with Jamie Turley and Jazzi Barnum-Bobb.

However, it was Kralove who doubled their advantage early in the second period.

Soon after Tom Owen-Evans and Tom Meechan replaced Mark Randall and Rigg, while Joe Day came on for Bittner in the minutes that followed.

Meechan, who scored in Wednesday’s win, almost netted again but his volley from Dan Butler’s cross cleared the crossbar.

A foul on County trialist Marlon Jackson resulted in a free-kick that Compton took but was dealt with by the Kralove keeper.

Pushing to pull a goal back in the last 10 minutes, Jackson couldn’t quite apply a finish from close range having been found by Meechan.

County: Bittner (Day), Jones (Barnum-Bobb), Bennett (Turley), Butler, Bignot, Compton, Randall (Owen-Evans), Labadie, Parselle, Jackson, Rigg (Meechan)