Newport County Under-18s progressed to the second round of the FAW Youth Cup with an assured 5-1 victory over AFC Llwydcoed at the USW Sport Park.
A brace each from Corey Evans and Declan Rowsell set the young Exiles on their way to victory before Jac Norris added a late goal of his own.
Manager Luke Hussey made five changes to the team that suffered a late defeat against Sutton United last weekend. Fraser Needham, Morgan Evans, Declan Rowsell, Orphee Bony and Jac Norris came into the side - the former replacing Bailey Hopkins, who made the bench after his involvement in the first team fixture against Harrogate.
County got off to a dream start, taking the lead inside three minutes through Corey Evans. The winger, who was on the scoresheet against Sutton last week, picked up a cut-back from Norris and finished into the far corner to put his team 1-0 up.
The lead would be doubled ten minutes later and it was Evans again. His deflected but powerful effort found the net to put Newport two goals to the good inside quarter of an hour.
Llwydcoed went in search of a quick response and goalkeeper Needham was called into action for the first time when he produced a reflex save to turn away a header that Nelson Sanca inivertedly directed towards his own goal.
At the other end, Elis Snooks produced a fine, stretching save to deny Declan Rowsell, who saw his shot turned around the post.
Rowsell wouldn’t be denied five minutes later, however, when he increased the Exiles’ lead to three goals. The cut-back from the byline once again proved successful as Evans picked out Rowsell inside the area and the midfielder fired a shot past Snooks.
The away side continued to press for a route back into the tie and found it with half an hour on the clock through centre back Jarrad Kedward, who poked in from close range.
Evans almost completed a first-half hat-trick just before the break but was unable to place his towering header on target.
Half-Time
Newport flew out of the blocks at the beginning of the second half and almost extended their lead to four goals when Corey Evans, still in search of his hattrick, rounded the keeper but saw his shot blocked on the line by Llwydcoed goalscorer Kedward.
Evans went close again when his looping free kick evaded everybody inside the box and struck the crossbar. County would finally score a well-earned fourth goal on the hour mark when the ball fell to Declan Rowsell inside the area and he made no mistake from close range, netting his brace in the process.
Defender Sanca looked to get in on the action as Newport went in search of a fifth but his powerful header was well-held by Snooks in the Llwydcoed goal.
Cam Egan was next to go close for the home side when Jac Norris’ deflected shot fell at his feet inside the box but the substitute dragged his shot wide of the far post.
Norris was involved again shortly after, firing a shot at goal that crept into the corner off the glove of Snooks to make it 5-1 to Newport.
After his earlier miss, Egan thought he had made it 6-1 but was adjudged to have handled the ball before getting his shot away.
Full Time
The result means that this young Exiles team, who reached the quarter finals of last season’s FAW Youth Cup, will be in the hat for round two of this year’s competition.
The young Exiles return to action next Saturday when they host Oxford United in the EFL Youth Alliance.
Newport County: Needham, Watkins (Davison, 59’), M. Evans (Babah, 81’), Barton, Sanca ©, Lloyd, Alexander-Walker (McKenzie, 59’), Rowsell, Bony (Egan, 45’), Norris, C. Evans
Unused substitutes: Hopkins
AFC Llwydcoed: Snooks, Pughe, Greaney, Kedward, Llewellyn, Evans, Parry (Lewis, 60’), Bowley, Reed, Williams, Polledri (Misheal, 70’).
Unused substitutes: Linton