Paddy’s kick up the rear an ideal tonic
I’VE said it before and I hope that I’ll say it again, there is nothing absolutely nothing better in football than a last-gasp winner
When club talisman Paddy Madden nearly broke the Railway End net in the 93rd minute, the noise around EP was incredible and with all our rivals, except Crewe, winning it could be one of the most important goals of the season.
The game, up to that point, was one of frustration.
Newport arrived as one of the form teams in the division but they hardly threatened with only two attempts on goal, both long range efforts that Ben Hinchliffe gathered up without any problem.
We, on the other hand, had so much of the ball and so many attempts on goal that the end result should have been more like the 8-0 win over Sutton than the 1-0 it was.
At times we seemed to over think every pass rather than have confidence in our own ability to press forward.
We had shot after shot that was diverted wide, one, unbelievably by Nick Powell, from off the goal line.
Even when we were presented with a golden opportunity with the awarding of a penalty, the Newport keeper made an incredible save (another keeper who comes to EP and has a blinder of a game).
Paddy’s goal was a huge relief, but it might just be hiding the cracks. Our first win in five games and only the second goal in those games too, just four or five games ago we were seven points clear but with two losses, two draws and just one goal since the win at Grimsby, we find ourselves in a real dogfight.
I’ve no doubt we’ll still manage promotion but we have to get our act together and who knows, Paddy might just have provided the kick up the backside we need.
On Sunday, it was the turn of County Ladies to grace the EP pitch, a Mother’s Day special against FCUM.
There was a healthy attendance to witness a 3-0 drubbing of our near neighbours.
It was a very cold afternoon but the team in blue kept us all warm as they dominated the game, there were plenty of opportunities to score and when the goals came they were a bit special.
Levi Rathburn scored a brace, the first was a 25-yard lob over a hapless keeper, the second was an easier finish after some great work down the right from Em Bradshaw.
The third was another goal of the highest quality when Captain Kenedy Owen dribbled her way through the FC defence and shot into the corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
So all in all it’s been a great weekend for County. Up the Hatters.