IT’S SO VAR-CICAL
NEWPORT BOSS FLYNN FURIOUS AS WEMBLEY TECHNOLOGY IS IGNORED FOR PLAY-OFF FINAL
NEWPORT manager Michael Flynn questioned why the League Two play-off final is at Wembley if they are not going to use the Video Assistant Referee.
Flynn saw his side miss out on a first-ever promotion to League One, but the story could have been different had referee Ross Joyce awarded Newport an 85th-minute penalty when Emmanuel Monthe clattered into Jamille Matt.
County were left to face extra-time a man down when skipper Mark O’Brien was sent off in the 89th minute and eventually succumbed to Connor Jennings’ goal just a minute before a penalty shoot-out would have been required.
Flynn was furious in his postmatch press conference, teeing up a rant on the decision with the line “now for the good bit”.
He suggested the game should not be played at the 90,000-seater stadium unless they are going to make full use of the facilities.
He said: “We are at the home of football, Wembley, we have got VAR, we have got equipment, we have got referees who are full-time referees and a big decision today has absolutely killed us. It is a stonewall penalty, I cannot believe it was not given.
“That is my frustration. We have seen the replay, 100 per-cent penalty.
“It is a very poor decision, it is a play-off final, you can’t get big decisions like that wrong. It is not a Mickey Mouse game.
“I hope that they bring it in for the next two games because you don’t want big decisions going against teams and costing them promotion.
“We have got the facilities here, they want the final at Wembley, there is 25,000 here, there is 8,000 for the Conference, if they are not going to use all the facilities at hand, what is the point of having them here?”
CONNOR Jennings’ goal deep into extra time ensured Tranmere Rovers gained promotion into League One with victory over 10-man Newport County at Wembley.
Both sides created numerous chances but were unable to break the deadlock in regular time, with Newport captain Mark O’Brien being sent off in the 89th minute.
Michael Flynn’s side looked like taking the contest to penalties after keeping Rovers at bay, but Jennings headed home in the final minute of extra time to ensure Newport will remain in League Two next term.
It represented a cruel blow for the Rodney Parade outfit who have enjoyed yet another remarkable campaign under manager Flynn.
Newport started brightly in the glorious London sunshine and looked to harm the Merseysiders from setpieces, with Jamille Matt heading wide from Mickey Demetriou’s long throw-in inside 90 seconds.
But Tranmere soon started to settle and saw Jennings fired a shot at goal from distance, although Joe Day gathered with ease.
And O’Brien had to be alert to prevent Jennings from tapping home James Norwood’s cross soon after.
Clear cut openings remained few and far between as Jennings curled wide for Tranmere before Scot Bennett blazed over from outside the 18yard box.
The Exiles continued to carry a threat from set plays as Padraig Amond headed wide from Josh Sheehan’s cross.
But it was Rovers who had the best opening of the first half as Norwood volleyed at goal from 12 yards out, but Day was on hand to parry the ball away to safety.
Sheehan and David Perkins both tried their luck with shots from distance before Norwood headed over from the penalty spot after being picked out by Jay Harris, although neither side could find the all-important breakthrough as the score remained level at the break.
Flynn’s troops looked to up the ante after the break and saw Sheehan have a shot blocked before Robbie Willmott fired wide of the mark.
Demetriou intervened with a brilliantly timed sliding tackle to thwart Kieron Morris just before Newport skipper Joss Labadie scuffed a shot wide on the hour mark.
The game opened up in the final half an hour, and chances came with
more regularity.
Tranmere almost benefitted from a deflection as Norwood’s strike nearly fell into the path of Jennings, although Dan Butler intervened at the pivotal moment.
But it was the Exiles who had a glorious chance to open the scoring as Butler’s cross found Matt at the back post, but Davies somehow managed to palm the Newport man’s header on to the post.
The Rovers goalkeeper was called into action again soon after as he got down low to thwart Amond.
The Amber Army were calling for a penalty five minutes from time as Matt went down in the area under the challenge of Manny Monthe before Amond saw hit shot strike the inside of the post, but the assistant referee had earlier flagged for an offside.
And Newport’s task was made harder in the final stages of regular time as O’Brien received a second yellow card for a foul on Norwood, meaning Flynn’s side had to play extra time with only 10 men after the sides could not be separated inside the 90.
Tranmere were calling for another dismissal 10 minutes into extra time as Demetriou collided with Norwood, although nothing was given by referee Ross Joyce.
Micky Mellon’s side continued to see more of the ball, although Newport still created chances, with Davies denying Amond in the final stages of the opening 15 minutes of extra time.
And it was the Exiles’ fourth sub - Keanu Marsh-Brown - who tested Davies from an acute angle within a minute of coming off the bench before Norwood had a shot deflected wide for Tranmere.
Ollie Banks drilled an effort just over the crossbar in the 21st minute of extra time.
But the decisive moment came a minute from the end of extra time as Jennings headed home Jake Caprice’s cross to send the Tranmere supporters into raptures and end Newport’s promotion dream.
NEWPORT COUNTY: Day; Poole, O’Brien (C), Demetriou, Butler; Bennett, Sheehan (Bakinson 91), Labadie (Dolan 72); Amond, Matt (Azeez 102), Willmott (Marsh-Brown 105). SUBS NOT USED: Pipe, Crofts, McKirdy. YELLOW CARDS: Matt 55, O’Brien 67 & 89, Poole 112
RED CARD: O’Brien 89 TRANMERE ROVERS: Davies (C); Caprice, Nelson (Buxton 115), Monthe, Ridehalgh; Banks; Morris (McNulty 82), Harris (Pringle 52), Perkins, Jennings; Norwood. SUBS NOT USED: Pilling, Dagnall, Mullin, Gilmour. YELLOW CARD: Perkins 77 ATTENDANCE: 25,217