The U’s were condemned to defeat in Sky Bet League Two at Rodney Parade as Newport County claimed a slender 1-0 win at Rodney Parade.
The Exiles’ goal came early on in the match with Will Evans nodding home after seven minutes had been played. But for all the pressure on the home goal that Matt Bloomfield’s side could exert, they failed to find the breakthrough as the home side held on.
Colchester United lined up with one change from last weekend’s defeat at Swindon Town, with John Akinde coming in to the starting line up in place of Frank Nouble.
Nouble dropped to the bench for the game against his former club, with Ossama Ashley returning to take his place amongst the substitutes. Ryan Clampin was the only change to the matchday eighteen from the Swindon match, with Kwesi Appiah and Matty Longstaff still both missing through injury.
The hosts made a fast start under their new manager, taking the lead inside the opening seven minutes of the contest. It was Will Evans who nodded home for the Exiles, connecting well with an Adam Lewis cross to beat Sam Hornby.
Newport were on top, with Bogle and Evans proving to be a handful for the U’s back line, but Matt Bloomfield’s side soon had a chance of their own. It fell to Luke Hannant from Al-Amin Kazeem’s cross, with the winger taking a clever touch to create the space before firing wide of the target from eight yards.
And as the half drew to a close the U’s looked the stronger of the two, but the hosts did go close to doubling their advantage minutes before half time.
Al-Amin Kazeem tried to head the ball back to Hornby in goal, but he wasn’t able to generate the required power with Evans lurking. But a well-timed challenge from the full back saw him atone for his mistake, clearing the ball high upfield.
Noah Chilvers had a couple of chances for the U’s before the break, one that was blocked by an outstretched leg, and another that was smothered by Day in the home goal, but Bloomfield’s team would trail by a single goal at the break.
Neither side opted to make any changes at the break, with both Bloomfield and Coughlan content with their eleven.
Newport were quick out of the blocks again, and went close to doubling their advantage just a minute into play. Omar Bogle was the man to take aim, looking to loop the ball over Hornby from the edge of the penalty area, with his shot just flicking off the top of the crossbar on its way out for a goal kick.
It wasn’t long before the U’s made their first change of the game, with Noah Chilvers withdrawn and replaced by Dan Chesters on the hour mark.
And two changes for the hosts swiftly followed as Robbie Willmott and Aaron Wildig were introduced, with the latter almost having an instant impact on proceedings. He was found by Evans’ crossfield pass, but saw his effort palmed away by Hornby in the U’s goal.
Bloomfield opted for another two changes with less than twenty minutes to go, with Judge and Nouble brought on to try and influence the final actions, replacing Sears and Hannant.
The last few minutes of the game brought a lot of pressure on the home goal, but few attempts as the Newport defence managed to contain the U’s attacking threats.
And it meant that the home side would be able to claim all three points at Rodney Parade, with the U’s slipping to twenty-third in the table with nine points from fourteen games.
The U’s return home for their next two matches, with Crawley Town and Stevenage visiting the JobServe Community Stadium next week, before returning to Rodney Parade in two weeks’ time for the First Round of the FA Cup.
Newport County starting XI: Day, Norman, Clarke, Farquharson, Bogle (Nevers 88’), Waite (Wildig 69’), Bennet, Moriah-Welsh, Lewis (Willmott 66’), Demetriou, Evans (Collins 88’).
Subs: Drysdale, Wilmott, Dolan, Nevers, Collins, Wildig, Townsend.
Colchester United starting XI: Hornby, Chambers, Dallison, Hannant (Nouble 71’), Skuse, Sears (Judge 71’), Chilvers (Chesters 61’), Tchamadeu, Akinde, Kazeem, Marshall Miranda (Newby 90’).
Subs: O’Hara, Judge, Ashley, Eastman, Newby, Chesters, Nouble.
Attendance: 3,994 (193)