A Craig Reid hat-trick helped Newport County to a thumping 5-0 win over Thurrock on Wednesday night.
The rout sees the Exiles move ten points clear at the top of the Blue Square South.
On an evening of total domination from the home side, Garry Warren opened the scoring after 17-minutes; Craig Reid scored a second penalty inside five days to double the lead before Charlie Henry wrapped up the points on the stroke of half-time.
Reid bagged his second on 57-minutes before the night’s coup d’grace came with three minutes remaining as Reid completed his hat-trick – the 16th goal of the season.
Warren’s looping header brought the game’s first goal – a long free-kick into the penalty area saw the Newport skipper rise and head over the goalkeeper to set County on their way.
Ashton Holgate was then bundled over searching for a cross to hand Newport a penalty, which Reid emphatically dispatched, before a sweeping counter-attack found Henry at the top of the penalty area, who turned inside the defender and struck a beautiful left-foot effort into the bottom-right corner to put the result beyond doubt before the break.
There was no let-up into the second-period. Reid grabbed his second and County’s fourth after being through on goal by an excellent Scott Roger’s pass. Reid still had work to do and strugged off two defenders before placing a left-foot shot beyond the goalkeeper.
The inevitable hat-trick came with time running down. Holgate again causing trouble in the Thurrock penalty area, rose to head a free-kick across goal for Reid to swivel and finish on the volley to send the majority of the 1,603 supporters home in raptures.
The Exiles will be hoping for further success on Saturday, when they travel to Farnborough in the FA Trophy first-round. The Zamaretto League leaders will provide a tricky test for County, but on current form Newport will take some stopping.
By Alex Winter
