MATCH REPORT: Newport County 2-1 Swindon Town (Development Squad Friendly)

County ran out 2-1 victors in a development squad friendly match against Swindon Town, with Wilfried Bony netting an 87th-minute winner.

Both County and Swindon named strong sides in the behind-closed-doors game at Newport Stadium, with both sides using the fixture to get minutes into the bodies of first-teamers in a match environment.

Swindon took the lead through Tomi Adeloye before an own goal from Marcel Lavinier levelled matters in the first half.

Second-half substitute Wilfried Bony popped up with the winner three minutes from time with a close-range tap-in. The Ivorian has regularly trained with County to gain match fitness in-between signing for new clubs since the summer of 2019. 

County started the game strongly as Robbie Willmott struck wide from distance after just four minutes while Jack Karadogan had a shot from the edge of the area deflected wide for a corner five minutes later.

Chanka Zimba went close on the 11-minute mark but he was denied smartly by Jack Copland in the Swindon goal after a lovely through ball from Adam Lewis. 

Swindon started to assert themselves just after the quarter-hour though with Tyrese Shade shooting wide before Jonny Williams was denied by Nick Townsend inside the area. 

A third shot in quick succession saw Shade shoot straight at Townsend from the edge of the box.

The visitors did make their strong period count though when Adeloye scored a diving header from inside the six-yard box to make it 1-0 in the 23rd minute. 

Newport levelled matters in the 38th minute though when Willmott's right-sided cross was turned into his own net by defender Lavinier. 

The half ended level at 1-1, with the final chance of the opening 45 seeing Lewis Collins having a shot deflected wide. 

County made a good start to the second half as Zimba shot past the far post from the edge of the area two minutes after the restart but Townsend needed to make an impressive save to keep out Morgan Roberts shortly after.

Much of the second half was an even contest as substitutions disrupted the flow of the game, with Collins next going close with a curler wide in the 73rd minute. 

Bony showed his quality since his introduction in the second half though, as he first headed a Josh Edwards cross from the right over the bar before hitting the post with a close-range header.

Zimba and Thierry Nevers both nearly got winners too with Zimba having a shot blocked and Nevers was denied by a brilliant save from close range. 

The final chance of the match was a pivotal one though as Bony tapped home from close range after Lewys Twamley's impressive run led to the Academy graduate having a shot that was only palmed into the path of Bony who couldn't miss. 

Newport County: Nick Townsend, Harrison Bright, Matt Dolan, Hayden Lindley, Robbie Willmott (Josh Edwards '75), Adam Lewis (Lewys Twamley '55), Aaron Wildig (Evan Cadwallader '75), Jack Karadogan (Wilfried Bony '55), Thierry Nevers, Lewis Collins, Chanka Zimba