NEWPORT County AFC were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Morecambe at Rodney Parade. Here are the talking points from the League Two clash…

DREAM START

Less than 30 seconds had been played when Padraig Amond nodded home, and the opener could have been even earlier.

The ball was nipped away from Antoine Semenyo just as he was settling to strike but it fell into the path of Robbie Willmott, whose cross/shot was smashed at goal by Jamille Matt.

Barry Roche made a super save but Amond was on hand to nod home.

Michael Flynn had spoken off his frustration at County’s slow starts but this was perfect and it could have been even better only for Semenyo to fail to work Roche harder with a free header after seven minutes.

LACK OF A KILLER TOUCH

Flynn was perhaps overegging it when he said in his post-match interview that the pressure was relentless but County were on top.

Cliché alert – 1-0 is a dangerous score. The Exiles failed to earn a buffer and paid the price when Kevin Ellison was gifted an opening.

There weren’t a glut of chances and the best was probably Semenyo’s free header early on. Had he beaten Roche with that then it probably would have been a comfortable afternoon.

Half-chances came and went, then Ellison was lethal when his came along.

STRETCHED SQUAD

That County looked set to take the spoils was to their credit given the reshuffling that they had to do because of injuries.

Scot Bennett limped off after 22 minutes and then Mark O’Brien didn’t come out for the second half.

That meant Flynn was denied the chance to impact the game, limited to the solitary change out of choice when he brought on Mark Harris for Matt.

Thankfully there is no midweek game because the manager needs to get some of his walking wounded back and he will hope for a change of lucky heading into the busy winter months.

SET PIECES

County had nine corners and a number of free-kicks on the flanks but failed to make them count.

Robbie Willmott’s delivery was a little disappointing and then Matty Dolan, who went close with a lovely free-kick in the first half, took over.

The pressure mounted but County were never really able to force Morecambe into panic stations.

ELLISON... AGAIN

It had to be him and boy did the veteran enjoy his goal in front of the Rodney Road terrace that had been giving him some pearls of wisdom.

As soon as the ball fell to Ellison it was clear that it was going to be level-pegging; one of the few bald men in the crowd not to be wearing a woolly hat on a freezing afternoon showed a typically cool head.

The 39-year-old has now scored six goals against the Exiles and has also won three penalties.

A commenter on this website put it perfectly when he pondered: “When is Ellison hanging up his boots?”