- Albion are knocked out of the Leasing.com Trophy on penalties
- Lorent Tolaj misses the decisive spot-kick
- Tolaj went close to scoring with a late chance in the second half
- The Seagulls return to PL2 action next Monday away at Wolves
Following a goalless and largely cagey 90 minutes, it was the League Two side that progressed to Round Three after a victory by the slimmest of margins.
Simon Rusk hailed the significance of what his young team had already achieved in the competition after topping their group, and he would’ve been proud of another gutsy display from the players against senior opposition.
They had already overcome League One opposition with 2-0 wins over AFC Wimbledon and Southend United respectively, enough to see them secure top spot ahead of the final match against Leyton Orient, in a competition which Albion will take plenty of positives from ahead of the rest of the season.
Rusk made five changes to the side that lost 3-1 to West Ham United the previous Wednesday, as Jason Steele, Haydon Roberts, Romaric Yapi, Alex Cochrane and Danny Cashman were all introduced into the team.
The first chances for either side came in quick succession, as Warren O’Hora was called into action to block Dominic Poleon’s effort before Danny Cashman was released on the counter-attack and saw his shot hit the roof of the net.
Newport had a lot of play in and around Albion’s box without creating anything really clear-cut to trouble Jason Steele, but the experienced keeper had to be alert to keep out Dan McNamara’s effort at his near post.
Cashman looked like Albion’s best outlet for a goal, as he latched onto a through ball with only Tom King left to beat, but the County shot-stopper made himself big to thwart the forward.
Albion had a let-off within a minute of the second half, after Jamille Matt rose highest in the area and headed wide at the near post.
Rusk made an attacking change ten minutes after the re-start with the introduction of Taylor Richards in place of Roberts, and the former City man slotted into midfield with Cochrane taking his place at left-back.
Bojan Radulovic made way with 20 minutes of normal time for free-scoring Swiss forward Lorent Tolaj, who partnered Cashman up top, but the Seagulls still struggled to make inroads past a stubborn Newport defence.
But Rusk’s young side grew more into the game towards the end of the second half, and could’ve broken the deadlock at the end of a lovely free-flowing move. Teddy Jenks played in Cashman, who in turn teed up Richards, but the latter’s left-footed strike flew over the bar.
Tolaj was also giving the Newport defence plenty of cause for concern, and he came agonisingly close to netting his first goal in the competition after heading wide at the far post from Peter Gwargis’s cross.
He came even closer to scoring just moments later in what was the final kick of the second half, but blazed his shot over the bar after being played in by Cashman.
So it went to penalties, and after Davies, Cashman, Gwargis and Yapi all scored, with Newport following suit, Tolaj fired over from the spot to leave the visitors as 5-4 victors.
ALBION: Steele; O’Hora, Baluta, Roberts (Richards 56); Yapi, Jenks, Cochrane, Gwargis; J Davies; Cashman, Radulovic (Tolaj 70).
SUBS NOT USED: Keto (GK), Freestone, Tsoungui, Leonard, Vukoje.
ATTENDANCE: 292