Newport hit W&B for six to win Gold Cup, while Carisbrooke seal promotion

The writing was on the wall early on in the game — Newport scoring the opener after 30 seconds through Jordan Browne.

Newport's Joe Craig and W&B skipper Joe Rayner. Photo: Andrew Cooper

Connor Kelly, a thorn in W&B's side all game, put in a good cross from the left to the edge of the six-yard box for Browne, who turned his marker easily to steer the ball in to the corner.

Less than three minutes later, Newport doubled their lead with a Mark Taylor strike. 

Taylor, took the ball forward, unchallenged to the edge of the penalty area before he unleashed a good, accurate effort, which beat keeper Gareth True's despairing dive.

W&B defender Charlie Shaw holds off a challenge from Connor Kelly, who scored twice. Photo: Andrew Cooper

W&B certainly missed their suspended skipper, Harry Ovnik, in defence.

A defensive mix-up almost led to Newport's third from a long, raking free kick into the box.

W&B started to play themselves into the game and pulled one back on 17 minutes when a loose ball in the Port six-yard area hit the post and bundled in by John Bilton to reduce the arrears.

Striker, Josh Appell, should have done better from just inside the penalty area — shooting weakly at Port keeper Gary Streeter when well placed after a defender slipped.

Newport's Connor Kelly, left, in a chase for the ball with W&B winger Freddy Knowles. Photo: Andrew Cooper

Two minutes later, Joe Craig had a golden chance to score Port's third, but his low drive from 15 yards was well saved by True, and his follow-up, deflected wide.

On 34 minutes, Newport also scored again when another defensive error allowed Kelly to have a snap shot with his left foot, parried by True.

Three minutes later, a free kick floated into the penalty area fell to Taylor, who drove the losse ball into the corner.

W&B keeper Gareth True makes a despairing dive as Mark Taylor scores Newport's third. Photo: Graham Brown

It served as another warning to W&B, who again failed to clear another cross into the area, allowing Kelly to tap in from a few yards out on 44 minutes to make it 4-1.

A minute into first half stoppage time, W&B lost their concentration again, with the excellent Lewis Wright heading in directly from a corner about three yards out.

Newport's Lewis Wright celebrates scoring his side's fourth ion the first first against W&B. Photo: Graham Brown

Coming out for the second half 5-1 down, W&B were probably told by boss, Steve Rayner, to play for their pride.

But within two minutes of the restart, Kelly bagged his second with a good strike.

After that, the game became scrappy, with both sides playing it almost like a pre-season friendly, with chances very few and far between thereafter.

While W&B worked hard all over the pitch, trying to close down Newport — and succeeding in the main — they created nothing of note, to give Streeter one of his quietest afternoons in many moons.

Newport, the better passing side, seemed to change down a couple of gears and dcreated very little, the next chance coming to substitute Harrison Yates — his one-on-one effort smothered by True.

Defender Neo Lamb was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet with two minutes left, when he cut in from the left on the edge of the box and curled a shot a couple of inches wide of the left-hand post. 

It was the sixth time Newport had won the trophy in the past seven seasons.

W&B will lick their wounds and look forward to next Saturday's Isle of Wight Memorial Cup semi-final against East Cowes Sports at Sandy Lane, as well as a Hampshire Intermediate Cup final against Bush Hill, at Winchester City on Saturday, May 11.  

Carisbrooke United rubber-stamped their promotion back to Division 1 of the Harwoods Island League, after a nine-year gap, by beating Yarmouth and Calbourne 8-0 at Clatterford Rec.

In Combination 1, Brading Town Reserves gave themselves a chance of winning the title by beating Ventnor Reserves 2-1 at Watcombe Bottom.

If Brading beat league leaders Oakfield Reserves away at Slade Road on Wednesday, they will leapfrog W&B Reserves and ECS Reserves to take the title.

Oakfield just need a draw to clinch the title.

                                              TODAY’S RESULTS (SATURDAY)

Harwoods Dacia IW Senior (Gold) Cup final: Newport 6, Whitecroft and Barton Sports 1.

Division 2: Carisbrooke United 8, Yarmouth and Calbourne 0; Oakfield 4, Niton Community 13.

Combination 1: Ventnor Reserves 1, Brading Town Reserves 2; West Wight Reserves 2, Binstead & COB Reserves 2.