Analysis of Newport 3-1 Doncaster Rovers

We analyse Rovers' 3-1 defeat to Newport.

Transcript

00:00Hello, Ricky Charles here at Rodney Parade after Rovers first defeat of the season, 3-1

00:06defeat to Newport County and yeah, just one that I don't think any of us could really

00:11see coming, especially at half-time. You know, it wasn't a stellar performance by any stretch

00:17in that first half, but Rovers were on top, they were in front, thanks to a great goal

00:21from Owen Bailey. But yeah, I mean, it was almost a carbon copy of last weekend's Atherington,

00:27and straight after half-time they come out even quicker today than they conceded, and

00:32it gave Newport a lot of impetus, the crowd in this main stand especially, get right behind

00:38them and are really vocal, and yeah, they just seemed to wilt. I mean, the equaliser

00:44went in, I forget the guy's name on the left-hand side, but he beat Sterry, cut inside and found

00:51the bottom corner, and then from there, like I say, Rovers kind of wilted, didn't really

00:57turn up second half. Grant McCann, who we just spoke to, said that he didn't recognise

01:01his team, especially in that second half. So yeah, it's kind of burst the balloon of

01:07the feel-good factor after, obviously, the last two games, the first two games of the

01:10season. But yeah, that period that killed them really was the two goals in three or

01:14four minutes or whatever it was, midway through the second half. Second goal from their guy

01:21was a really brilliant strike, you know, long range, can't really have any complaints about

01:25that. Maybe could have got close down a little bit earlier, but other than that, you know,

01:30great strikes, you hold your hands up at that. But the reaction to that was, well, there

01:33wasn't one really, not from Doncaster anyway, you know, Newport, I think it was a throw-in,

01:38and eventually it lands in the box and there's no communication, and it's just prodded in

01:44by Baker, the defender. So, mounting to climb after that, Grant McCann again just afterwards

01:50said he wished he'd made more subs. He brought on Joe Sabara just after the hour. He says

01:56he was kicking himself that he didn't make more subs at that point. Then after the third

01:59goal went in, he did make more subs. I think he made three at once with Yeboah and Sharpe

02:06among the three changes. But yeah, I mean, the game was gone by then. Newport were just

02:12sitting back, sitting deep and looking to hit on the counter, you know, just staying

02:16defensively diligent, and Robles didn't really have many chances after that. Like I said,

02:22they brought on Sharpe, they brought on Yeboah, they brought on Sabara, but they didn't really

02:26have a sniff. And it's another tale of, you know, defeat here at Newport. If there's another

02:32ground that Donny don't relish going, more than this, I'd like to know, because, yeah,

02:36that's seven goals shipped in two visits, pretty much 12 months on from that 4-0 last

02:42year. So I think the important thing is that it's just a blip, and hopefully it's just

02:45a blip. They've got a full week now on the training ground to address it. And obviously

02:52they've got Morecambe next Saturday at home, so that might help actually, having a full

02:55week between matches. So yeah, all being well. They can sign this to the history books. They'll

03:03certainly not be relishing the next trip to Newport, whenever that is. But yeah, one to

03:08forget. If you do want to relive it, there's ratings, and we've got the report up on the

03:12website, and there'll be plenty going up over the weekend. We've got the reaction from Grant

03:17to come, and usual stuff like talking points. So yeah, not one to remember for overs, but

03:23hopefully it's just a blip.