Report: Iron 0-1 Newport County

Scunthorpe suffered a 1-0 defeat to Newport County at the Sands Venue Stadium after an early second-half header from striker Courtney Baker-Richardson.

10 minutes into the match the away side struck first at goal as Dom Telford connected with a whipped cross form the left-wing which brought Scunthorpe No.1 Rory Watson into action, who dealt with the shot with ease.

Minutes later, Harry Bunn picked the ball up in the middle of the field who drove at goal and slipped a neat ball into midfielder Tom Pugh who launched the ball at goal which ricocheted off the post and out for a goal-kick.

Jake Cain tried at goal with 20 minutes played after the left-footer shot at goal from the edge of the box which forced Watson to make a diving save and gave Newport a corner.

Finn Azaz fired a strike from the edge of the box moments later which was easily parried away by Watson.

Newport captain Mickey Demetriou had his headed effort go over Watson’s head but was denied by the crossbar.

Telford kept the pressure on Scunthorpe half-way through the first-half as his header seconds later was stopped by Watson again.

Azaz again tried his chances at goal a minute later as he connected with the ball on the edge of the box and hit a volley with Watson pushing it out for a corner.

Following a foul in the area, Demetriou had the chance to put the visitors 1-0 up after 35 minutes but his penalty hit the post and out for a throw-in.

Scunthorpe started the second half in a lively manner as Jai Rowe met a rolled ball to the edge the box with the midfielder powering the shot at goal, but he couldn’t keep it down as it went high over the bar.

Newport took the lead 10 minutes into the second half after a free-kick was looped into the Iron box and was headed home by Baker-Richardson, who rose above everyone else to put it into the back of the net.

After 60 minutes, Cameron Norman whipped a ball into the home box which was met by Azaz who couldn’t connect with the ball as it went high over the bar.

Mason O’Malley finessed a free-kick from the edge of the box at Newport’s Nick Townsend but couldn’t get the curled strike to come down as it went over the bar for a goal-kick.

After 68 minutes, the Iron were awarded a penalty after an off-ball incident as Luke Matheson was brought down in the box, with substitute Myles Hippolyte’s penalty being saved by Townsend.

The subsequent corner was saved by Townsend again after O’Malley whipped the ball in with George Taft heading the ball towards goal as Townsend was at full-stretch to make the save.

Azaz fired his shot over the bar after he was fouled between two Iron defenders.

Norman fired a shot over the bar with eight minutes left to play after he received the ball on the edge of the box and it proved the last opportunity of the match.

IRON: Watson, O’Malley, Taft, Onariase, Rowe (Hallam, 87), Bunn (Hippolyte, 42), Pugh (Wood, 77), Davis, Perry, Burns, Matheson.

IRON SUBS NOT USED: Collins, Beestin, Gallimore, Lewis.

NEWPORT: Townsend, Norman, Haynes, Pask (Clarke, 70), Baker-Richardson, Bennett, Azaz, Telford (Waite, 90+1), Cain, Demetriou, Cooper (Dolan, 87).

NEWPORT SUBS NOT USED: Day, Willmott, Fisher, Lewis.

ATTENDANCE: 2,604.