FA Cup: Newport County 2 Walsall 1 - Report and pictures
Walsall crashed out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle after falling to a 2-1 loss at Newport County.
In front of a rapturous crowd at Rodney Parade, a Frank Nouble strike – which took a huge deflection off Jon Guthrie, gave the Exiles a first half lead.
Just 30 seconds after the interval, Mike Flynn’s side doubled their advantage when Shawn McCoulsky produced a smart finish after being found in the box by Ben White.
Substitute Amadou Bakayoko gave Jon Whitney’s side hope when he glanced in a brilliant cross from Maz Kouyhar in the 78th minute.
And from that minute, the Saddlers put County under heavy pressure but were unable to break through and force a replay.
Analysis
In naming his starting line-up, boss Whitney made two changes from the team that fell to defeat against Southend last time out.
Switching to a 4-4-1-1 formation, wingers Zeli Ismail and Kieron Morris were both restored at the expense of Amadou Bakayoko and the suspended James Wilson.
It was a system that saw Erhun Oztumer operate behind Tyler Roberts in the number 10 role while Shaun Donnellan partnered Jon Guthrie in central defence.
Newport lined up in a 3-5-2 formation but without top scorer Pádraig Amond who started amongst the substitutes. On loan Bristol City forward Shawn McCoulsky partnered Nouble up front.
Determined to impress a passionate home crowd intent on seeing a cup upset, it was the Exiles who started the game on the front foot.
And they took the lead in the 18th minute – albeit it fortunate circumstances.
Nouble collected the ball 30-yards from goal and bullied his way past both Adam Chambers and Donnellan too easily.
The former West Ham man then unleashed a wild strike that looked to be heading well wide. But it took a huge deflection off Guthrie to wrong-foot Mark Gillespie and sail into the net.
In his pre-match interview, Whitney made it clear he was eager for his team to play a more patient passing game with the Saddlers having been too direct against Southend.
And you could see the team were trying to implement that style with Walsall keeping the ball on the floor and trying not to play long.
But at the clock ticked past the half hour mark they were struggling to create clear goal scoring opportunities.
Luke Leahy saw deep cross expertly cleared by Ben White with the defender’s header stopping Oztumer from having a tap in.
A training ground corner routine then saw Roberts latch on to an Ismail delivery but, under pressure from a defender, the striker fired high and wide.
And it was Newport who created the last chance of the half with Nouble rising highest to meet a corner but heading well wide.
Just 30 seconds after the re-start though, the Welsh side had doubled their lead.
After Joe Edwards lost the ball, White brilliantly stepped into midfield before slipping in McCoulsky.
And despite the angle being tight, the striker kept his composure to calmly slot the ball into the bottom left corner.
With his side needing something to change, Whitney made his first substitution just past the hour mark with Bakayoko replacing Morris.
Walsall were now seeing a lot of the ball but you got the impression County were happy for them to have it with clear cut chances proving few and far between.
And it was Flynn’s side who threatened next with Nouble glancing a header narrowly wide following a corner.
But in the 78th minute Walsall did give themselves a life line.
A wonderful cross from substitute Kouyhar was matched with an equally impressive header from Bakayoko – with the striker glancing the ball into the corner to leave Joe Day rooted to the spot.
Lifted by the goal the Saddlers started passing the ball more crisply and at a better tempo. And they then went on to produce wave after wave of attack in a bid to try and pull level.
But despite the onslaught the home side found themselves under, County dug deep and defended resolutely to ensure they were the team going into the hat for the second round.
Key moments
8 Matty Dolan slices a volley wide after the ball had broken kindly for him inside the box.
18 GOAL NEWPORT. Frank Nouble tricks his way past Adam Chambers and Shaun Donnellan too easily before unleashing a left-footed drive which takes a deflection off Jon Guthrie and finds the top corner.
33 Luke Leahy's teasing cross towards Erhun Oztumer is expertly cut out by Ben White.
34 Tyler Roberts enters the box before seeing a half-volley blocked by White. Oztumer collects the loose ball and fires over from 20-yards.
37 A training ground corner routine sees Zeli Ismail find Roberts but he fires wide.
39 Nouble sends a header wide from Robbie Willmott's corner.
46 GOAL NEWPORT White slips in Shawn McCoulsky who, from a tight angle, produces a smart finish to find the bottom left corner.
55 Kieron Morris puts the ball into the Newport net but the flag is up for offside.
62 Joe Day races off his line to get to a lofted ball ahead of Ismail.
74 Nouble glances a header wide from a corner.
78 GOAL WALSALL. A brilliant Maz Kouyhar cross is glanced into the net by Ama Bakayoko.
83 Kouhyar fires over from 25 yards.
90 A long ball forward almost gets Nouble in but Gillespie is out quickly to deal with the danger.
Teams
Newport: Day, Pipe, Demetriou, White, O'Brien (Bennett 69), Butler, Willmott, Dolan, Tozer, McCoulsky (Amond 81), Nouble.
Subs not used: Bittner, Reynolds, Jackson, Owen-Evans, Rigg
Walsall: Gillespie, Kinsella, Guthrie, Donnellan, Leahy, Ismail, Chambers, Edwards, Morris (Bakayoko 61), Oztumer (Kouyhar 73), T. Roberts.
Subs not used: L. Roberts, K. Roberts, Devlin, Flanagan, Jackson.
