2009–10 Newport County A.F.C. season


The 2009–10 season was Newport County's sixth consecutive season in the Conference South and they had been ever-present since the introduction of the Conference North & South in 2004.
Newport County attained promotion to the Conference National for the 2010–11 season on 15 March 2010 with seven league games remaining following a 2–0 victory over Havant & Waterlooville. In doing so County became the first team in the English football pyramid system to be promoted in the 2009–10 season.

Season review

League

The season began with optimism that the unbeaten run at the end of the previous season could be maintained. Former manager Tim Harris returned to the club on 7 May as General Manager citing "unfinished business".
The season began with a win and three draws, County finding themselves in 11th position, although with the unbeaten run from the previous season intact. The next five consecutive games were won, with County briefly going top of the table on 5 September although they were knocked off when Dover Athletic won an extra mid-week game. The chance to return to the top on the 16th was surprisingly missed when County could only draw with bottom-placed Weymouth despite taking the lead in the second minute. The next three games were won however, with County going top on 3 October.
The 20-match unbeaten run finally came to an end against mid-table Staines Town on 27 October. Staines won the game 1–0 although County goalkeeper Glyn Thompson spurned the chance to equalise when his last-minute header came back off the post! As second-placed Dover had also lost, County maintained their top spot.
Of the next 18 games, 15 were won and only three drawn, with County extending their lead at the top of the table.

The run-in

Moving into March 2010, with 32 games played and County already 24 points clear of then second-placed Chelmsford City the winning post came into view. With 79 points in the bag, the most any of the chasing pack could achieve was 85. Newport travelled to bottom-placed Weymouth and duly recorded a 3–1 win. With Chelmsford also winning, the target was still 86. This set up the Friday and Monday games of the 12 and 15 March as the potential championship-winning games. A minimum of four points from those two games would have been enough to see County mathematically promoted to the Conference National irrespective of other results.
A then-record Newport Stadium league crowd witnessed a County victory in the Bishop's Stortford game, setting up the Havant & Waterlooville game as the decider. Despite only needing a point to seal the championship, that game was also won in front of new record crowd, sealing promotion in emphatic style.
The following match away to Thurrock, County suffered only their second defeat of the season, despite again taking an early lead. The next three games were won however before Havant & Waterlooville inflicted revenge for their 2–0 defeat in the championship-winning game by thumping County 4–0, their worst defeat since Bath City won by the same scoreline over a year previously!

The final home game

The Conference South trophy was to be presented at the final home game against Dover Athletic. Early on in the season this was thought to be the potential championship-deciding match, but instead it turned into a victory parade for County. Another bumper crowd witnessed a 3–0 victory, finishing off the home season unbeaten and taking the team to the 100-point mark.
The following day the team set off on an open-top bus from Newport Stadium to the Civic Centre for a civic reception with the Mayor of Newport.

The final away game

Although there was nothing for County to play for, the game away at Braintree Town was pivotal to the home side's chances of securing a spot in the play-offs. Going into the game a draw would have been enough to maintain fifth place for the home side, but their play-off hopes were effectively over after just eleven minutes. Two early goals for County seemed to have wrapped the game up, but a controversial penalty decision in the 54th minute saw Braintree back in the game and playing the last half an hour against ten men. County held on for a 2–1 victory though to deny Braintree a play-off spot and become the most successful team in the Football Conference's 31-year history.
Craig Reid finished season as Conference South top scorer with 24 goals for Newport County.

Results summary

Results by round

Squad statistics

Loan players

Loans in

Loans out

Managerial statistics

Fixtures and results

Pre-season friendlies

Conference South

DateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendance
Sat 8 Aug 2009Bishop's StortfordA0–0704
Wed 12 Aug 2009Hampton & Richmond BoroughH3–1P.Cochlin, D.Gilroy, S.Foley1,185
Sat 15 Aug 2009LewesH2–2S.Foley, D.Rose1,201
Tue 18 Aug 2009Dorchester TownA0–0609
Sat 22 Aug 2009Chelmsford CityH4–0S.Foley, K.Cooper, P.Cochlin, C.Reid1,042
Sat 29 Aug 2009Maidenhead UnitedA3–1J.Bradley, C.Reid, G.Warren497
Mon 31 Aug 2009Weston-super-MareH2–0C.Reid, D.Gilroy1,404
Sat 5 Sep 2009Welling UnitedA2–0C.Reid 2 552
Sat 12 Sep 2009EastleighH5–1C.Reid 2, C.Henry, D.Rose, S.Foley1,316
Wed 16 Sep 2009WeymouthH1–1C.Reid1,509
Sat 19 Sep 2009WokingA1–0S.Foley1,862
Sat 3 Oct 2009Bath CityH1–0C.Henry1,410
Sat 17 Oct 2009St Albans CityA1–0C.Henry581
Tue 27 Oct 2009Staines TownA0–1621
Sat 31 Oct 2009Basingstoke TownH1–0J.Collins1,241
Sat 7 Nov 2009Dover AthleticA2–1C.Reid 21,680
Sun 15 Nov 2009BromleyH2–0D.Rose, K.Morgan2,026
Sat 28 Nov 2009LewesA3–0S.Rogers, K.Morgan, C.Henry521
Sat 5 Dec 2009Bath CityA1–1C.Reid 1,404
Wed 9 Dec 2009ThurrockH5–0C.Reid 3, G.Warren, C.Henry1,603
Sat 19 Dec 2009Staines TownH1–0C.Henry1,460
Mon 28 Dec 2009Dorchester TownH3–0C.Reid 2, G.Warren2,205
Fri 1 Jan 2010Worcester CityH1–0S.Foley2,525
Sat 23 Jan 2010St Albans CityH5–0C.Reid 2, G.Warren, J.Collins, S.Foley1,412
Sat 30 Jan 2010BromleyA3–2P.Cochlin, C.Henry, S.Foley817
Sat 6 Feb 2010Welling UnitedH2–2J.Collins, K.Morgan1,449
Wed 10 FebEastleighA4–1S.Foley 2, C.Reid, C.Henry 745
Sat 13 Feb 2010Chelmsford CityA0–0931
Sat 20 Feb 2010Hampton & Richmond BoroughA4–0C.Reid 2, W.Turk, S.Foley742
Mon 22 Feb 2010Worcester CityA4–1C.Todd 2, C.Reid, S.Foley1,017
Sat 27 Feb 2010Braintree TownH1–0S.Foley2,117
Tue 2 Mar 2010Basingstoke TownA5–1D.Rose 2, S.Douglas, S.Foley, M.Giles686
Sat 6 Mar 2010WeymouthA3–1K.Morgan, D.Rose, S.Foley1,123
Fri 12 Mar 2010Bishop's StortfordH1–0K.Morgan3,084
Mon 15 Mar 2010Havant & WaterloovilleH2–0S.Foley 24,221
Sat 20 Mar 2010ThurrockA1–2G.Warren406
Sat 27 Mar 2010WokingH1–0D.Gilroy1,742
Sat 3 Apr 2010Maidenhead UnitedH4–1D.Gilroy, C.Reid, D.Rose, S.Rogers1,339
Tue 6 Apr 2010Weston-super-MareA4–1C.Henry, D.Gilroy, P.Cochlin, C.Reid807
Sat 10 Apr 2010Havant & WaterloovilleA0–41,020
Sat 17 Apr 2010Dover AthleticH3–0K.Morgan, C.Todd, D.Rose3,201
Sat 24 Apr 2010Braintree TownA2–1J.Collins, P.Cochlin1,187

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendance
2Q26 Sep 2009Clevedon TownHand Stadium3–1Reid 2, Davies623
3Q10 Oct 2009Paulton RoversWinterfield Road0–1709

FA Trophy

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScorersAttendance
3Q21 Nov 2009Braintree TownNewport Stadium2–1K.Morgan, D.Gilroy684
112 Dec 2009FarnboroughCherrywood Road3–1C.Henry, A.Holgate, C.Reid805
220 Jan 2010York CityNewport Stadium0–01,040
2r26 Jan 2010York CityBootham Crescent0–11,469

League table

Awards

This season the club set new Conference South records: