NEWPORT County AFC drew 1-1 at Forest Green Rovers after Padraig Amond cancelled out a Scot Bennett own goal before Mickey Demtriou missed the chance to win it from the penalty spot. Here are the talking points...

Exiles look the real deal

Forest Green Rovers are now the only unbeaten side in the Football League but County were only a missed penalty kick away from ending that record.

Amond’s goal was the first that Rovers have conceded from open play at The New Lawn this season and they looked the most likely to win the match after the break.

The hosts hit the woodwork twice in the first half but Joe Day was rarely tested thereafter as Michael Flynn’s men proved that they are a match for most sides in League Two even when not quite on top of their game.

Amond firing again

After breaking his goal drought against Cambridge United last Saturday, the Irish striker was only denied another goal by a stunning save from the Macclesfield Town goalkeeper in midweek.

And he scored his fifth of the campaign with a sublime finish to get County back on level terms yesterday afternoon.

Amond took on a little less defensive responsibility and it allowed him to be more of a menace to the home defence than he was on the road last month.

Willmott shows his value

Robbie Willmott may have felt some pressure to perform as he returned from a three-game ban following his silly red card in that defeat to Yeovil Town last month and he delivered.

In an impressive first-half display, the versatile forward proved a real threat on the right flank. He beat two men before laying on a chance for Jamille Matt and then picked out Amond for his goal.

An in-form Willmott gives Flynn the option to play different formations and in the absence of Matty Dolan his set-piece delivery is a real asset.

Should it have been a red for Reid?

Rovers boss Mark Cooper insisted that the shot from Matt hit Reuben Reid on the chest or shoulder and it shouldn’t have been a penalty but there was a definite movement of the arm towards the ball and contact in the bicep area.

Referee Tim Robinson was right to point to the spot and the rules state that “where a player denies the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by a deliberate handball offence the player is sent off wherever the offence occurs.”

But replays suggest that the shot was actually going wide so a yellow card was probably the right call from the official.

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Demetriou’s day to forget

After two perfect penalties in the last two matches, the centre-back missed the chance to make it three in three as he blazed his spot-kick over the bar and wasted County’s best chance to take all three points.

It was the first time Demetriou has missed a penalty for the club and he may have been affected by a difficult first half.

The manager was unhappy with the way his stand-in skipper dealt with the attacking threat from the hosts early on and it’s not a day he’ll remember fondly.

But Demetriou had had plenty of great days in his 18 months as an Exiles player and there will surely be many more to come for one of the best defenders in the division.