NEWPORT County AFC lost and regained their lead in a dramatic finale against Colchester in League Two on Tuesday evening.
The Exiles looked set to take the spoils through Scott Twine’s stunning strike early in the second half only to be denied a fourth successive clean sheet at the death.
Goalkeeper Nick Townsend’s error led to Jevani Brown levelling only for County to respond swiftly to win it in the last minute.
Mickey Demetriou was almost the hero but when his header was scrambled off the line it was Padraig Amond that poked home from a yard.
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Here are the talking points from the clash at Rodney Parade…
BUYING A TICKET
Some of County’s play was terrific, especially in the first half hour when they bossed possession and put Colchester under stress.
It wasn’t just nice approach play around the box – the Exiles are having a crack.
The shot count was 23 against the U’s and the tally has been high in all of their League Two fixtures so far.
Scunthorpe 14, Barrow 13, Bolton 25, Mansfield 17, Cambridge 10, Tranmere 15, Bradford 15. The sole disappointing figure is the 7 from Stevenage but that was in a disciplined away success.
Nine games, 139 shots at an average of 15.4 (last season was 11.3). That’s a wise tactic when you have somebody like Scott Twine able to pull the trigger…
TERRIFIC TWINE
Manager Michael Flynn won’t go overboard about the on-loan attacking midfielder and that’s a wise move given that Swindon have the option to call him back in January.
The 21-year-old is a wonderful talent and I have previously written about his presence taking some of the creative burden off Josh Sheehan, who is pulling the strings from deep.
In Twine and Matty Dolan, the Exiles have a right, left combo to trouble teams from set pieces but the central defender has to play second fiddle when it comes to long-range free-kicks.
The midfielder had Tranmere’s Joe Murphy scrambling from distance with an effort that dipped brutally and he had the beating of Colchester’s Dean Gerken with a repeat effort that crashed against the bar.
He eventually found his range with the brilliant opener when he worked a little bit of space and then thumped in from around 25 metres.
The television footage from the Bisley Stand doesn’t do it justice – watching from the other side of the ground gave the chance to see the pace and swerve that meant Gerken did well to get fingertips to it.
Twine is making the Exiles tick at the moment and it was impossible for his performances to go under the radar even before Tweets of praise from ex-Wales defender Danny Gabbidon and The Athletic’s Stuart James, a former County player.
Scott Twine is a player! 🔥🔥🔥
— Daniel Gabbidon (@Gabbidon35) October 28, 2020
MORE THAN GOALS
Tristan Abrahams has struck seven times this season while Padraig Amond, the club’s top scorer for the last three years, won it last night with his third of the campaign.
The duo will battle for County’s golden boot but they are about much more than goals and their graft was impressive against Colchester.
They stretched the U’s early on and linked up nicely while Abrahams is starting to be more of an all-round package.
With Ryan Taylor injured and Jamie Proctor getting up to speed, the 21-year-old is relishing leading the line and bringing others into play.
“His work rate and hold-up play was much better,” said Flynn about Abrahams, whose lay-off set up Amond in Bradford.
“He snatched at one or two (openings) but working that hard for the team with that amount of tracking back enables you to set up other attacks.
“You can counter, pick teams off and overload in the middle of the park. Tristan has started the season very, very well.
“We defend as a team and attack as a team, we build attacks from the back and defend from the front. It’s what good teams do and what hard, honest teams do.”
HANDY TOWNSEND
Nick Townsend has been quietly excellent this season; he hasn’t had a lot to do but has done it well.
The goalkeeper looked set for a fourth clean sheet in a row until spilling a routine shot into the path of Brown.
The conditions were greasy, the shot passed a few bodies, there was an onrushing attacker in his sightline… all excuses that Townsend won’t want to make.
He should have safely gathered but thankfully Amond responded quickly.
The outfield players quickly ensured Townsend didn’t lose two points and the ‘keeper will no doubt return the favour in the coming weeks and months.
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