FISHER REELS IN A WINNER!
MICHAEL Flynn might have been absent from the dugout, but it didn’t stop his Newport County side from grinding out a hard-fought 1-0 win at Tranmere Rovers.
Flynn was unable to travel to Merseyside with his players after testing positive for coronavirus.
But he would have been proud of the resilience shown by his players after they withstood huge pressure throughout the game to secure three vital League Two points.
Striker Alex Fisher was the hero with the striker, on his first start for the Exiles, finding the back of the net after 59 minutes which was ultimately enough to get County over the finishing line.
Newport were dealt a blow before kick-off with Matty Dolan and Mickey Demetriou not deemed fit enough to play, although Jermaine Hylton was passed fit to start.
Tranmere started the stronger of the two sides forcing Joe Day to make a terrific save.
Sam Foley whipped in the ball from the right for the hosts, with Newport’s Priestley Farquharson attempted to block the cross. Instead, the ball deflected towards goal, but Day’s tremendous reflexes managed to punch the ball over the bar.
Newport were fortunate for a second time when Liam Feeney raced down the left before pulling the ball back towards the unmarked Paul Glatzel who let the visitors off the hook by shooting wide.
It took the Exiles 40 minutes before threatening Tranmere’s goal.
Farquharson hit a cross into the middle, but Fisher hit the top right of the bar with a right-footed volley meaning the deadlock couldn’t be broken in the first-half.
The Exiles came out of the block firing in the second-half as they applied pressure to the Tranmere penalty box.
Fin Azaz came close with a shot which was deflected over the bar, until Fisher finally broke the deadlock.
The striker hit the bar with a ferocious header, but the hosts failed to deal with the ball which allowed Fisher to pounce and nudge the ball into the back of the net.
But Fisher’s goal forced Tranmere to up the tempo with Elliott Nevitt forcing Day into another impressive save.
Despite Tranmere’s pressure the Exiles were able to keep them at bay, while Azaz was a constant threat with his pace on the counter-attack.
Tranmere’s lay siege to the Newport penalty box in the final stanza of the game with the Exiles forced to defend as if their lives depended on it.
And Tranmere’s pressure very nearly broke Newport who were saved by a tremendous block from James Clarke, who put his body in the way of Callum McManaman’s shot.
There was six minutes of added time, which must have felt like an eternity for Newport and their fans, but their defence held first to secure a well-deserved victory.