Newport County let another two-goal lead slip on Saturday with a 2-2 draw against Welling United.
It was the first time County have dropped points in the league at home since the 1-1 draw against Weymouth back in September.
The Exiles failed to hold what seemed a comfortable lead for the second week in succession but unlike the previous week, County failed to find a winner.
The early stages again went as per the champions-elect script, as Danny Rose whipped in a free-kick that Jamie Collins turned into the net to give Newport the lead. Rose’s ball was full of pace and invited the touch to open the scoring.
They were cruising after doubling the lead in the second-half through a wonderful move. A delightful floated ball by Paul Bignot was brought down beautifully by Craig Reid, who then saw the run of Kerry Morgan and laid a pass for Morgan to stroke elegantly into the bottom-right corner.
But that was the peak of County’s afternoon. Welling struck back through Tom Whitnell who received a pass just inside the Newport penalty area, swivelled and curled a finish past Glyn Thompson’s right-handed dive.
Whitnell then equalised with just under 15 minutes left. Again Newport’s frailties defending set pieces was exposed as a corner was swung in and Whitnell was able to control the cross on the edge of the six-yard box and thrash a left-foot strike into the centre of the goal to level.
Welling nearly snatched what would have been Newport’s first home defeat of the season but a goalmouth scramble from another inswinging corner was somehow smothered by Thompson to preserve County’s unbeaten home record.
By Alex Winter
Alex is a journalism student and edits the Gloucestershire cricket blog, The Shire Blog
