Newport manager Graham Coughlan praised his players for keeping their cool in a red-hot atmosphere as the Exiles warmed up for taking on Manchester United with a 1-0 victory over 10-man Wrexham.
A temporary stand has been erected at Rodney Parade to boost the capacity for the visit of Erik ten Hag’s men in the FA Cup next Sunday and it meant that 9,537 fans packed out the ground for the all-Welsh derby.
Wrexham defender Will Boyle was shown a straight red card for a studs-up challenge on Shane McLoughlin after just 18 minutes.
And Seb Palmer-Houlden headed in the only goal of the game after 34 minutes to earn the hosts all three points.
Coughlan felt his side used the support to their advantage and he insisted that they were on top before the red card.
“The atmosphere was noisy, and it was intense. It was really enjoyable for our players and fans, who have gone home happy,” said the Irishman.
“The atmosphere was always going to be a tester and we stood up to it and kept our discipline. The place was bouncing and I was really pleased the group kept their composure.
“Today was all about a derby game and about winning, no matter how you get over the line.
“We were really good in periods – more than a match for them and probably better than them.
“I just hope the sending-off doesn’t overshadow how good we were and how disciplined we were.”
Phil Parkinson claimed that the red card was the key moment of the match.
“Going down to 10 men after 18 minutes, it was difficult,” said the Wrexham manager. “We gave ourselves a mountain to climb and we couldn’t get any quality or rhythm in our play.
“It’s one of those challenges where he’s won the ball and caught the player on the follow-through.
“It’s a genuine tackle to win the ball and he’s caught him high. The linesman said the point of contact was dangerous and it’s a straight red.
“A lot was against us, in terms of the sending-off and losing four players to injury during the week. It’s a big disruption and the mountain was just too high for us to climb.
“Fair play to them, they used the conditions well and pressed right on to us. And we never really got a foothold in the game or implemented what we wanted to at half-time to get back into the game.
“It hurts when it’s a local derby and our fans have come down in their numbers and given us great support. But we’ve got nine days before our next game now and we’ll have to dust ourselves down and come back stronger.”
Al-Ahli 1-2 Al-Hilal: Mitrovic double keeps Saudi champions perfect
Aleksandar Mitrovic proved to be the difference once again for Al-Hilal as the reigning Saudi Pro League champions beat Al-Ahli 2-1 on Saturday.
Al-Ahil went in front with 12 minutes played when Gabri Veiga was sent through on goal by Franck Kessie, with the Spaniard rounding Yassine Bounou to open the scoring at King Abdullah Sports City.
The hosts went close to doubling their advantage soon after, with Riyad Mahrez and Ivan Toney going close, before Sergej Milinkovic-Savic saw his effort cleared off the line at the other end.
But parity was restored early in the second half through Al-Hilal's master marksman, as Mitrovic nodded home a trademark header from Renan Lodi's delivery.
Al-Ahil were then awarded a penalty when Rayan Hamed fouled Malcom inside the box, only for Mitrovic to see his effort saved by Abdulrahman Al Sanbi.
However, the Serbian was given the chance to redeem himself after the VAR deemed encroachment had taken place, and he made no mistake at the second time of asking to net his 14th goal of the season in all competitions.
Data Debrief: Mitrovic the main man
Mitrovic has been in fine form since his move to Saudi Arabia, with his latest double taking his tally to 54 goals in as many appearances for Al-Hilal.
This time out, he contributed 1.16 expected goals (xG) tally to the visitors' 2.24 total, while also recording the most touches in the opposition box (six).
Malcom also impressed for Al-Hilal, creating more chances (three) than anyone on the pitch, with his 14 passes into the final third a total only bettered by Ruben Neves (18) and Salem Al Dawsari (15) among his team-mates.
Al-Nassr 3-0 Al-Orubah: Mane double helps hosts close in on leaders
Sadio Mane scored a goal in either half, helping Al-Nassr cruise to a 3-0 win over Al-Orubah and close in on the top two in the Saudi Pro League.
Cristiano Ronaldo had given the hosts the lead from the spot, setting them on their way to a dominant victory.
After a slow start, Jean Seri was penalised for a handball, and Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot. After a stuttering run-up, he coolly slotted his strike into the bottom-left corner.
Mane got his first on the stroke of half-time, latching onto Ronaldo's pull-back before firing his low shot into the far side of the net.
He could have had a hat-trick, having also hit the woodwork and squandered a first-time shot by slicing it wide, but he did get his second in the 71st minute, guiding Nawaf Bu Washi's cross past Gaetan Coucke.
Cristian Tello came closest to a consolation for the visitors, smashing a long-range effort off the crossbar.
Data Debrief: Mane's time to shine
Mane, so far this season, has been providing the spark as a playmaker after registering five assists in Al-Nassr's first five games in the Saudi Pro League.
Today, however, he regained his scoring touch, getting his first two goals of the campaign.
He had the most shots (five), and shots on target (three), as he accumulated 0.97 expected goals (xG), while his seven touches in the box was the most of any player on the field.
Napoli 3-1 Como: Lukaku and McTominay on target to extend hosts' Serie A lead
Romelu Lukaku continued his fine start to life at Napoli as the Belgian notched a goal and two assists in his side's 3-1 win over Como on Friday.
The hosts found themselves ahead with just 26 seconds on the clock when Scott McTominay was picked out by Lukaku, with the Scotland international firing home his first goal for Gli Azzurri off the post.
But Como would draw themselves level two minutes before the break when Gabriel Strefezza's strike from distance rifled into the bottom corner.
However, Antonio Conte's side needed just eight minutes after the interval to restore their advantage when Sergi Roberto brought down Mathias Olivera in the box, with Lukaku stepping up from 12 yards to net his fourth Serie A goal of the season.
Napoli continued to push for a third goal to secure the victory, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia going closest but saw his effort saved by Emil Audero.
But the points were sealed in the 86th minute when Lukaku turned provider once again, holding off his marker before slipping through substitute David Neres who slotted home with a fine finish to extend Napoli's lead at the top of the standings to four points.
Data Debrief: Lukaku continues Conte love story
Lukaku has been a player reborn under Conte's stewardship. The Belgian is the player who has been involved in the most goals in his first five appearances for Napoli in Serie A since the Italian top-flight returned to 20 teams (since 2004/05) with three goals and four assists.
He has also managed to better his assist tally for the whole of last season, managing just three in 32 appearances for Roma last term.
McTominay's goal after 26 seconds is the third-fastest scored by Napoli since the start of a Serie A match in the three points for a win era, after Hirving Lozano's goal against Hellas Verona in 2021 (nine seconds) and Ezequiel Lavezzi's goal against Genoa in 2008 (25 seconds).
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