Newport County claimed a 2-1 victory over Cambridge United on Saturday afternoon, with the scoreline doing little to reflect the chaos of a match that produced seven substitutions inside twenty minutes of the second half and swung in Newport's favour only after Cambridge had clawed themselves level.
The hosts settled quickly. Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu opened the scoring in the thirteenth minute, and Anthony Driscoll-Glennon doubled the advantage five minutes later. At that point Newport looked comfortable, controlling territory and limiting Cambridge's ability to build from deep.
Cambridge responded before the break, Ben Lloyd pulling one back in the forty-first minute to give them a foothold heading into the interval.
The second half became congested with personnel changes. Cole Jarvis came on at the restart, S. Sprangler followed shortly after, and Dominic Ball entered in the fifty-sixth minute as both managers reshaped their sides. Korey Smith and Sullay Kaikai were on the pitch by the sixty-second minute, and it was Kaikai who restored Newport's lead immediately, striking within moments of his introduction.
Nathaniel Opoku and Gerard Garner arrived in quick succession, adding further energy to what had become a fragmented contest. B. Purrington extended Newport's lead in the eightieth minute to make it 2-1 and effectively settle matters, though Elliott Nevitt tested the home side again late on.
Newport managed the closing stages without serious alarm and took the points.
Recap generated from the event timeline. Editorial team review by request. How we use AI.
