ROSE A REAL IN COUNTY’S

NEWPORT County’s fivematch unbeaten run was ended by play-off chasing Sutton United on another frustrating afternoon for the home fans at a bitterly cold Rodney Parade.

Goals in each half from Coby Rowe and Alistair Smith, and an inspired goalkeeping performance from Jack Rose, earned Sutton a 2-0 win and condemned County to an eighth home defeat of the season in League Two.

Manager Graham Coughlan made two changes from the midweek win at Hartlepool United, with Offrande Zanzala and Charlie McNeill replacing Omar Bogle and Calum Kavanagh up front.

And the Exiles started on the front foot and created the first chance when an Aaron Lewis cross from the left was hooked wide by Harry Charsley.

But the visitors took the lead in controversial circumstances in the ninth minute.

Defender Rowe poked home from close range after County failed to clear a corner that Lewis was adamant should have been a goal kick.

Fuelled by a sense of injustice, Coughlan’s men poured forward and enjoyed periods of sustained pressure without testing Rose until a mad minute midway through the first half.

The Sutton stopper first denied Zanzala in a one-on-one and then tipped McNeill’s curled effort round the post before Priestley Farquharson headed against the post from the corner.

Farquharson had another sight on goal shortly afterwards but his header from Mickey Demetriou’s long throw was too close to Rose.

Harry Charsley then glanced a header just wide from Cameron Norman’s

cross and Zanzala had an effort deflected over the bar just before half-time.

Scot Bennett’s 300th appearance for the club lasted only 45 minutes as he was replaced by Nathan MoriahWelsh for the second half.

Sutton striker Lee Angol, who had an unsuccessful appeal for a penalty in the first half, wasted a good chance to doubled his side’s lead three minutes into the second half as he lifted a shot well over the top from inside the box.

At the other end, Lewis saw a shot blocked before McNeill’s fierce halfvolley was tipped over after a clever chest down from Zanzala.

Soon after that, Zanzala injured himself as he saw a shot blocked at close range and Bogle joined McNeill up front.

It looked to be set up for a grandstand finish from the Exiles, but they were caught by a sucker punch as Sutton doubled their lead against the run of play on 66 minutes.

It was a perfectly placed effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box from Smith, which gave Joe Day very little chance.

Bogle almost produced the perfect response a minute later, but he was denied at the near post by an inspired Rose – a thorn in County’s side all