Newport made two changes to the side that won 2–0 away at Vics on December 29: Jamie Linnington replaced veteran Joe McCormack in goal and Lewis Wright took the place of Scott Sampson in midfield.
Port began the game kicking towards the allotments end on a pitch in good condition, in cold but dry winter weather.
Newport’s first chance came after just three minutes, when Jared Wetherick headed across the penalty area, for Jordan Browne to attempt a bicycle kick from five yards. Jordan BROWNE then opened the scoring after seven minutes, slotting in from five yards after a pass from Connor Kelly.
In the nineteenth minute, Whitchurch hit the post from a curling free-kick. BROWNE then added his second after a fumble from the Whitchurch ‘keeper in the 26th minute.
On the half-hour mark, Jared Wetherick, was bundled over on the edge of the penalty area. WETHERICK then scored the resulting penalty with a powerful low shot to the left side of the goal.
Shortly before half-time, Ryan Hughes was forced to clear the ball off the Newport goal line. However,a minute later, Hughes found himself on the edge of the Whitchurch penalty area, and, despite foul play from a Whitchurch defender, managed to pass the ball to Connor KELLY, who coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net to give Port a 4–0 half-time lead.
Half-time Newport IW 4–0 Whitchurch United
Whitchurch came back strongly at the start of the second half, scoring twice to reduce the deficit to 4–2. The first goal for ‘the Jam Boys’ was a scrambled effort from Ryan LONG in the 50th minute, the second a powerful low shot from Aaron RANDALL. Andy Sampson then made a couple of substitutions: Joe Craig replacing Mark Taylor and Jared Cousins coming on for Liam Triggs.
Connor KELLY got Port’s fifth in the 70th minute, coolly rounding the keeper after beating the offside trap. In the 74th minute, the Whitchurch goalkeeper was lucky not to have been red-carded after handling the ball outside the penalty area. Jordan Browne rattled the Whitchurch crossbar from the resulting free kick.
A powerful Jared WETHERICK header put Port 6–2 in the lead in the 76th minute, which the referee & linesman judged to have crossed the line before a defender cleared.
Jordan BROWNE then hit his hat-trick four minutes from time, shooting over the keeper after being played on by substitute Joe Craig.
Finally, Joe CRAIG completed the Jam Boy’s humiliation, with a screamer in the third minute of injury time, to make the final score Newport 8–2 Whitchurch United.
After the match, manager Andy Sampson declared himself, “pleased for the lads”, although he was “disappointed” to have let in a couple. He thought his team had “deserved the win, despite switching off at the start of the second half.”
The win takes Newport to seventh position in Wessex League 1. Newport now have a further four successive home games, starting with Verwood Town on Saturday, January 12.
Newport IW 8–2 Whitchurch United
Newport: Linnington, Hughes, Lamb, Barron, McDonagh, Wright (Powell 78), Kelly, Triggs (Cousins 69), Wetherick, Browne, Taylor (Craig 58)
Goals: Newport: Browne 7, 26, 86; Wetherick 30 pen, 76; Kelly 43, 70; Craig 90 + 3 Whitchurch United: Long 50, Randall 69
Referee: Liam White
Newport Man-of-the-match: Jordan Browne
Attendance: 119