Newport County 3-1 Southend United

Newport County moved up to seventh place in League Two with a comfortable victory against Southend.

Conor Washington's shot give the Exiles the lead before Southend replied with a superb Ben Coker free-kick.

Defender Andrew Hughes, who returned to action after missing two games with a hamstring problem, then scored a header to make it 2-1 to County at half-time.

Ismail Yakubu headed home Washington's pinpoint cross to seal the win early in the second half.

VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Newport County manager Justin Edinburgh told BBC Radio Wales:

"That was the best win for sure [this season]. From start to finish we were excellent and thoroughly deserved our three points against a very good team.

"Conor Washington deserved his goal, his performances of late have been phenomenal really if you think where he's come from in a short space of time.

"We're going to be a stronger outfit as the season goes along because we've got a lot of players missing, but what it has given is players opportunities that they didn't think they'd have and they've excelled."

Southend manager Phil Brown told BBC Essex:

"Not the result or the performance [we wanted]. The pitch did cut up and Newport played the conditions better than we did.

"We beat ourselves to be brutally honest, we've gifted them two goals - the timing of the second goal has unhinged us.

"Too many players had off-days with the ball. We've created one or two chances, but at the same time they've created an awful lot of openings.

"For me it was too easy to play against us today - that's been an uncharacteristic side of today's performance."

Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text

Line-ups

Newport

Formation 4-4-2

1Pidgeley
16Jones
19Naylor
8Minshull
5JamesSubstituted forHughesat 25'minutesSubstituted forPipeat 56'minutes
6Yakubu
7Chapman
12Willmott
14Washington
11ZebroskiSubstituted forCrowat 80'minutes
18Jackson

Substitutes

2Pipe
3Hughes
9Crow
17Flynn
23Jolley
25Stephens
26Redman

Southend

Formation 3-5-2

17Bentley
12AtkinsonBooked at 35mins
24Auger
15Kiernan
6Prosser
3Coker
14HurstSubstituted forTimlinat 56'minutes
18Leonard
10Corr
33WoodrowSubstituted forReidat 68'minutes
16CliffordSubstituted forPayneat 56'minutes

Substitutes

1Smith
8Timlin
9Reid
11Straker
20Njie
21Payne
26Edwards

Referee:: Lee Collins
Attendance:: 3,652

Match Stats

Home TeamNewportAway TeamSouthend

Possession: Home57%; Away43%

Shots: Home16; Away6

Shots on Target: Home10; Away3

Corners: Home8; Away4

Fouls: Home16; Away11

Live Text

Post update
Match ends, Newport County 3, Southend United 1.
90'+4'
Full Time
Second Half ends, Newport County 3, Southend United 1.

90'+2'
Post update
Foul by Danny Crow (Newport County).
90'+2'
Post update
Jack Payne (Southend United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
90'+1'
Post update
Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Daniel Bentley.
90'+1'
Post update
Attempt saved. Adam Chapman (Newport County) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
89'
Post update
Ryan Auger (Southend United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
89'
Post update
Foul by Conor Washington (Newport County).
89'
Post update
Attempt saved. Craig Reid (Southend United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
88'
Post update
Hand ball by Barry Corr (Southend United).
85'
Post update
Attempt missed. Conor Washington (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
84'
Post update
Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Leonard Pidgeley.
84'
Post update
Attempt saved. Ryan Leonard (Southend United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
80'
Substitution
Substitution, Newport County. Danny Crow replaces Chris Zebroski.
79'
Post update
Corner, Newport County. Conceded by Daniel Bentley.
78'
Post update
Attempt saved. Robbie Willmott (Newport County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
78'
Post update
Corner, Southend United. Conceded by Ryan Jackson.
77'
Post update
Attempt blocked. Jack Payne (Southend United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
77'
Post update
Foul by David Pipe (Newport County).
77'
Post update
Jack Payne (Southend United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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