COUNTY HIT BY AN MK OPENING BLITZ
NEWPORT County got whacked by the Dons in Milton Keynes as the promotion-chasing hosts raced into a 3-0 lead inside the opening half hour and only Exiles goalkeeper Nick Townsend prevented a real thumping.
Defeat leaves County in 16th place in League Two, though they remain in the mix for the play-offs.
Graham Coughlan’s men are just five points behind seventh-placed Gillingham with a game in hand – Tuesday’s trip to fellow promotion hopefuls Harrogate Town.
But they will have to improve on a poor showing at Stadium MK, where they were blown away in the opening stages.
Dan Kemp and Kyran Lofthouse both failed to hit the target with early chances before Kemp made the breakthrough in the 12th minute after a neat back-heel assist by Stephen Wearne.
County then lost influential wingback Shane McLoughlin to injury before conceding a second in the 23rd minute.
Jack Payne played a quick one-two with Kemp from a free-kick before smashing a shot in off the post to put the home side in control.
And it was game over in the 29th minute as a long ball over the top caught out Scot Bennett and Wearne teed up former Exiles loan star Alex Gilbey to roll in the Dons’ third.
Payne almost got his second and the hosts’ fourth just before halftime, but he dragged his shot wide from the edge of the area.
And Exiles goalkeeper Townsend pulled off a stunning stop to deny Joe Tomlinson, before also saving from former team-mate Cameron Norman and Wearne in first-half stoppage time.
Coughlan made two changes for the start of the second half, with Luke Jephcott and Kyle Jameson replacing James Waite and Matt Baker, and his final two just before the hour as Matty Bondswell and Offrande Zanzala came on for Scot Bennett and Seb Palmer-Houlden.
But there was no way back into the contest for the Exiles, who were again grateful to an in-form Townsend for keeping the score just about respectable.
The County keeper saved from Kemp, Wearne and Lewis Bate, while Kemp did have the ball in the net again only for his celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag.
The visitors barely threatened all afternoon, and Dons sub Emre Tezgel could have added a fourth for his side.
The forward, on loan from Stoke City, took too long to get his shot away and Jameson did well to block his belated effort.
Exiles top scorer Will Evans went down in the box claiming a penalty late on, but referee Ben Atkinson was not interested in the appeals.
Jephcott also saw a shot saved late on and it was a miserable trip home for the 512 away fans.
MK DONS: M Kelly, C Norman, W O’Hora, D Harvie; K Lofthouse,
J Payne (E Robson, 79), L Bate (MJ Williams, 78), J Tomlinson; D Kemp (E Tezgel, 61), A Gilbey (M Dennis, 86); S Wearne (E Harrison, 61) SUBSTITUTES NOT USED: N Harness, C Tripp
NEWPORT COUNTY: N Townsend; M Baker (K Jameson, 46), S
Bennett (O Zanzala, 59), J Clarke; S McLoughlin (L Payne, 18), B Morris, A Wildig, J Waite (L Jephcott, 46), A Lewis; W Evans, S Palmer-Houlden (M Bondswell, 58)
SUBSTITUTES NOT USED: J Maxted, K Rai
REFEREE: B Atkinson ATTENDANCE: 6,354