What a game of football, what a fantastic atmosphere at The Mem and what a wonderful three points; I’m sure there are others who could sum up this resounding 5-3 win more eloquently than I, but it was a vert special afternoon spent in the company of over 10,000 very enthusiastic supporters.
Manager Steve Evans, who handed Rovers league debuts to Tom James and Ben Purrington and a first league start to Bobby Kamwa, saw his side fall behind in Newport’s first attack, with only 15 seconds on the clock.
Harrison Biggins was the scorer; latching on to a ball from Christian Doidge, he found himself in a great deal of space and took full advantage, slotting the ball beyond Brad Young’s despairing dive and into the net.
Biggins might have added a second shortly afterwards when his 40 yard lob over the head of Brad Young hit the woodwork and rebounded into the arms of the grateful goalkeeper.
That seemed to wake up what, until then, had been a sluggish start for Rovers and they began to assert themselves on the game and created a number of goalscoring opportunities.
However, as the first half drew to a close and in spite of efforts from Shaq Forde, Tommy Leigh, Fabrizio Cavegn and Kamwa, who hit the crossbar, it looked as though they would still trail at the half time break.
Then Kamwa, the winger signed from Newport in the summer, who gad received terrible abuse from the visiting supporters, saw a shot deflected on to the bar and fell kindly to Purrington who had the simple task of heading home from close range.
Eight minutes into the second half Cavegn gave Rovers the lead when, after playing a neat one two with James, he calmly beat his marker and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Jordan Wright.
Four minutes later a Kofi Balmer long throw caused confusion in the Newport defence and, with Cavegn set to pounce, defender Lee Jenkins panicked and stabbed the ball past Wright and into the net.
Shaquille Gwengwe reduced the deficit just after the hour mark when he raced on to a pass from Doidge and lifted the ball over Young.
Kamwa then scored a spectacular fourth for Rovers. Spotted by Young, who drove a long ball out to the left, the winger drove inside and curled a stunning shot into the top corner of the net. He didn’t stop to celebrate with the Rovers supporters but turned and sprinted 100 yards to the other end of the ground to celebrate in front of the Newport fans who had been handing out abuse all afternoon.
His celebrations didn’t go down well with a number of the Newport players, but he certainly deserved his moment in the spotlight. He was substituted shortly afterwards, with Evans saying he was tired. After a sprint like that, it was hardly surprising!
Cole Jarvis scored a third for Newport in the first minute of stoppage time, but Cavegn scored his second of the game in the 99th minute. With Wright stranded in the Rovers box following a corner and a free kick, the ball was cleared to the striker who was able to stroke the ball into an empty net after he had been pursued, somewhat half heartedly, by a couple of visiting defenders…shades of Sammy Igoe at Wembley in 2007!
Rovers scored five and could have had eight, it was that type of game. If there was a concern it was a lack of physicality at the heart of defence. As for Man of the Match, Cavegn and Leigh were definitely contenders, but Keenan Gough was the player who stood out in the middle of the park. The Charlton loanee surely has a career at the top level ahead of him.
WHAT WAS SAID
“I have many reflections and emotions over 100 minutes or whatever the referee played. First and foremost, great character from the team because we go a goal down in what, 17 or 18 seconds. It’s a clear foul on Riley Harbottle. People will see it back tonight and say, ‘Steve’s moaning about the ref.’ It’s a clear foul. He doesn’t give it, but then we have to do better afterwards.
‘We go behind, and it takes five or ten minutes for us to settle down again. But once we settled down, Newport counter-attacked, and we had all the play. A lot of half chances, a lot of good chances. I think Fab’s got clear of their back four on three occasions and doesn’t put any in the net. Unlucky a little bit, doesn’t clear his feet and then we get the goal right on half time, which gives us momentum.
‘Second half for me carried on as it did. We were having all the play, all the attacks, all the goalmouth actions. We got ourselves comfortably in front and then on three or four occasions today, defensively we’ve been really individually poor. That’s the best way I can say it. I think in general over the course of the game, we’ve been really good defensively. But in key moments, in certain aspects of this game, it should have finished 5–1, and that’s allowing for a foul on the first goal. If you don’t defend properly in your box, it’s always going to make it game on. Rovers Manager Steve Evans
‘I think I was shocked after the first goal, but we were like, we saw each other in the eyes and said, we have to switch on; we have to come back now, show them a reaction. So many people turned up to The Mem today, and it was brilliant. They came here, and then we said at half time; we do it for them.
I think my first goal was a good ball from Tom James, just to take a touch. I saw the defender come on my left side, and I took it onto the right foot and just shot. It went quickly and went in. It was a great feeling. I love to score here and at The Mem.
‘We were all together in the box to defend in the final minutes, and then Reiss took in the ball, and I saw the space, and the goalkeeper was in our box as well, and then he played a good pass to me, and then I went through. It looks very simple, but it’s the goals that you can think a lot about until you are in the box and until you are in front of the goal. But I think I had two good touches in front, and then, yeah, I am quick, and then I score my second goal.’ Rovers striker Fabrizio Cavegn
“We said all week, we said send in training, we play at home now, we start a season now, this is our home and we show them and we have the fans, we have the Gasheads behind us, and it’s very good.”
‘We wanted to start fast, we wanted to be aggressive and progress and get around the ball. Harrison Biggins had a lovely shot, dipped, hits the post. Doidge had a really good chance from the side as well as in the box and Shaq had an opportunity to hit the target. I saw my team today do exactly what I asked them to do, I want to be front footed, I want to be positive, just take the game to Bristol which we did.
‘We were open and a couple of the goals were really, really soft. I think what you did see is us hit the team that didn’t feel sorry for themselves, the team that were front footed and kept going and carving out chances right before the end. I think the fifth goal is just a formality. We were going for the game so that’s on me, the goalkeeper goes up and we try to get the equaliser. I think if it goes in there then it’s a brave move. Newport Boss Hayden Mullins
