NOT SO GR-EIGHT FOR THE COUNTY
THE season is finally over for Newport County, who finished with an eighth successive defeat – their worst run since 2016-2017 – after going down 4-1 at Bradford City.
A once-promising campaign has ended in misery and mediocrity for County.
Graham Coughlan’s men were just two points below the League Two play-off places after winning at AFC Wimbledon on March 16, but they ended up 15 points off the pace and down in 18th place after a truly terrible six weeks.
Crawley Town’s win over Grimsby Town meant it was also a disappointing finale for Bradford, who fell just one points short of a top-seven place.
But it was Exiles boss Coughlan who was left with the biggest concerns after another morale-sapping away day.
His side started well enough, frustrating the hosts for 43 minutes and creating a couple of decent openings for striker Seb Palmer-Houlden.
The Bristol City loanee failed to hit the target when released for a oneon-one with Bradford goalkeeper Sam Walker and then dragged his shot wide after a kind ricochet off strike partner Luke Jephcott.
Bradford started to click into gear after 25 minutes and County keeper Nick Townsend had his heart in his mouth when his attempted clearance was charged down by Jamie Walker, but former Exiles loan star Calum Kavanagh couldn’t take advantage on the rebound.
Veteran striker Andy Cook then outmuscled County’s teenage centre-back Nelson Sanca and laid off the ball to Kavanagh for another shot, but Matty Baker did well to block before Cook headed wide soon afterwards.
With results elsewhere not going in their favour and Coughlan’s men frustrating their team, the home fans began to get a little restless.
But the mood changed with two quickfire goals just before half-time, which all-but settled the contest in the hosts’ favour.
First Kavanagh ghosted between Baker and Sanca to head home unmarked from six yards from a Brad Halliday cross in the 44th minute.
And then, in the first minute of time added on, Cook climbed above three County men to meet Richard Smallwood’s free-kick and head past Townsend and Kyle Jameson on the line from inside the six-yard box.
A superb third goal from Bobby Pointon – a left foot rocket into the top corner from the edge of the D – put the result beyond any doubt 12 minutes into the second half.
Harry Charsley did fire in a consolation goal in the 65th minute after being teed up by Palmer-Houlden, but there was no way back into the game for the weary Exiles.
And there was one more indignity for the 357 travelling fans when Cook cut the ball back for Jamie Walker to slot in a fourth deep into stoppage time.
BRADFORD CITY: S Walker; D Oyegoke, M Platt, C Kelly; B Halliday, J Walker, R Smallwood, T Wright; C Kavanagh (T Smith, 78), B Pointon (C Oduor, 78); A
Cook
NEWPORT COUNTY: N Townsend; M Baker, N Sanca, K Jameson; H Bright (S McLoughlin, 81), H Charsley (A Wildig, 81), S Bennett (J Waite, 66), B Morris, W Evans; L Jephcott (M Bondswell, 66), S Palmer-Houlden REFEREE: T Kirk
ATTENDANCE: 18,842