Salford City beat Newport County 3-0 on Tuesday evening in a contest that the hosts controlled for long stretches, though Newport made them work considerably harder than the scoreline suggests.
Newport had their moments in the opening half. Ryan Delaney gave them an early foothold when he converted at the back post on 13 minutes, and Cameron Evans doubled the visitors' advantage on 29 minutes, leaving Salford with a mountain to climb before the interval.
The second half told a very different story. Joe Thomas pulled one back almost immediately after the restart, and within ten minutes of that goal Nathaniel Opoku had turned the match entirely on its head, scoring twice in quick succession at 58 and 59 minutes to put Salford level and then ahead. It was a remarkable few minutes that stripped Newport of their composure and momentum simultaneously.
Both managers turned to their benches heavily around the hour mark, with a wave of substitutions from the 62nd minute onwards disrupting the rhythm of the game. Newport struggled to regain their earlier shape, and Salford pressed home their advantage through the final quarter.
Ryan Graydon added a fourth on 87 minutes, and Opoku completed his hat-trick in stoppage time to confirm a comprehensive reversal of Newport's half-time position.
Newport will look back at a first half they dominated yet failed to convert more convincingly. Salford, to their credit, refused to fold and took full advantage when the opportunity arrived.
Recap generated from the event timeline. Editorial team review by request. How we use AI.
