Comments

With the team coming into this game off the back of a bad result and dismal display at St Martins last week, the hope was that the performance last week was just a blip and that the team could get back to winning ways.

Alphington were a bit of an unknown quantity having won their last couple of games, including away at St Martins but not showing great form before then.

Newtown started off fairly indifferently and not really getting their passing game going on what was a heavy pitch in places. Certainly a few of the Newtown players were struggling with their passing and this left the team struggling to maintin good possession of the ball.

Alphington lined up with two wingers with a fair bit of pace who although didn-t truly trouble the Newtown defence, did certainly offer options out wide and allowed Alphington to push on.

With Simon Piper playing in front of the midfield and just off Ben Howard who had the lone role up front, Newtown should have been feeding some decent ball into Howard to lay off for players like Simon Piper, Cory O- Donoghue and Chris Phillips to run to to - unfortunately a high percentage of ball hit forwards was either badly placed, giving the ball away, or Howard was left challenging hopeful balls played in the air.

Alphington did have one or two opportunities going close in the first half but it was Newtown who went in at half time one nil up, Cory O-Donoghue-s tame shot finding its way past the keeper.

Newtown did manage to get the ball out wide on occasion in the first half, although the ball generally failed to find its way past the first defender.

One passage of play resulted in Ben Howard nearly bundling the ball home but Alphington cleared the ball which fell to Jake Hobbs, who was taken down for a penalty. Unfortunately, he should have probably taken a leaf out of Thierry Henry-s book and left the penalty to someone else, as it was a woefully weak effort which the keeper saved.

Newtown-s start to the second half was still laboured but a goal from Jake Hobbs seemed to raise the levels and confidence of the players, with Cory O-Donoghue adding a third.

Newtown-s passing game was starting to come together and Chris Phillips should really have found himself on the score sheet when the ball fell to him unmarked at the far post, only to nearly clear the netting behind the goal.

Gary Miles introduced Kyle Hall and with only his first or second touch he headed past the keeper from a great delivery from Jake Hobbs on the left. Newtown were starting to cut through the Alphington back line at will with some great link up down the right flank from Cory O-Donoghue and Alex Woolsgrove.

Alphington were lucky to keep 11 players on the park with two defenders pulling Newtown players down when last man, and from one of these challenges, Jack Gill found the corner of the net with a well taken free kick.

Luke Jones added two further goals with great runs into the near post, resulting in one header and a volley after two quality free kicks delivered in from the right by Cory O-Donoghue.

A good reuslt for Newtown to gain in a run of four local derbys in league and cup, already having lost to St Martins - hopefully the result will have given the players a bit of belief and confidence to go and take the game to Heavitree - this team truly need to understand that when they play their football with the pace, accuracy and belief that they can, and match it with the application of effort right through the team in closing the opposition down, then they can beat teams who look to muscle them out of games.