Newport County were defeated 5-0 by Accrington Stanley at the Wham Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Reds' attacking trio were at the heart of the goals, with Kelsey Mooney and Joe O'Brien-Whitmarsh both scoring doubles, while Tyler Walton contributed a goal and three assists.
Head coach Nelson Jardim made two changes to the side that faced Chesterfield last time out, with Kai Whitmore and Michael Spellman starting for the Exiles.
Ciaran Brennan made his long-awaited return from injury, featuring in the second half after coming off the bench with over thirty minutes remaining.
The game got off to the worst possible start for County as Accrington opened the scoring in the fourth minute. O’Brien-Whitmarsh capitalised on a loose ball, drove to the left side of the box, and finished into the bottom right corner.
Minutes later, Accrington went close to making it 2-0 as Farrend Rawson rose highest from a corner, but his header looped just over the bar.
In an effort to respond to the early pressure from the hosts, Shane McLoughlin saw his shot from the edge of the box deflected out for a corner. From the corner, Matt Baker flicked a header into the six-yard box, but Spellman was unable to react in time and headed wide.
Accrington Stanley doubled their lead in the 15th minute when Walton made space for himself down the right side of the box before squaring the ball to Mooney, who simply had to tap it in.
Another chance fell for the Exiles from a well-delivered corner by Anthony Glennon. The corner was met by the leaping Courtney Baker-Richardson, whose downward header was blocked well by the Reds' defense.
In the 26th minute, Stanley made it 3-0 as Ben Woods delivered a low, deep ball into the box from the right side. The ball took a slight touch from Walton in the box before sneaking into the bottom left corner.
The hosts continued to put pressure on Newport County as Devon Matthews went close to adding a fourth, but he was superbly denied by Nick Townsend.
County began to grow into the game before the end of the half, with Bobby Kamwa looking to create. After beating multiple Stanley defenders, he worked himself into space in the box to shoot, but his effort was blocked well.
Half-time.
Accrington had a great chance within the first five minutes of the second half as Jake Batty delivered a pinpoint cross onto the head of Walton, but the attacker was unable to convert.
Moments later, O’Brien-Whitmarsh added his second and Stanley’s fourth. The midfielder struck a powerful shot from the edge of the box that flew into the top left corner.
After the fourth goal, Jardim made four changes to his side, with Brennan, Kieron Evans, David Ajiboye, and Geoffroy Bony replacing Kamwa, Whitmore, Jaden Warner, and Baker-Richardson.
Mooney made it 5-0 when Walton laid the ball off to the number nine inside the box, and the attacker made no mistake, finishing coolly.
The second-half substitutes for Accrington almost linked up to score their sixth as Charlie Brown tried to guide Alex Henderson’s strike goalward with his head, but his effort was wide of the mark.
The final chance of the game came when Joe Thomas delivered a cross into the box, finding Bony, but the striker’s header went over the bar.
Full-time.
Newport County: Townsend, Thomas, Warner (Brennan 56’), Baker, Clarke (C), Glennon, Whitmore (Ajiboye 56’), McLoughlin (Mawene 71’), Kamwa (K.Evans 56’), Spellman, Baker-Richardson (Bony 56’).
Substitutes: Webb, C.Evans.
Accrington Stanley: Crellin, Ward, Rawson (Quirk 77'), Matthews, Batty, Woods (Grant 76'), Conneely (C) (Coyle 46'), Love, O’Brien-Whitmarsh, Walton (Henderson 80'), Mooney (Brown 80').
Substitutes: Coyle, Hunter, Kelly.
Attendance: 1,503 (110 away)
