Goals:

1-0: Featherstone (2, took a chipped pass from Woods and volleyed in after getting behind the defence)

1-1: Rigg (4, low free-kick drilled under the defensive wall)

1-2: Parkin (28, chested the ball down, turned and fired a volley into the far corner from distance)

2-2: Amond (37, free close-range header from an Alessandra corner)

Booking: Jones (62, foul)

Sending-off: Nsiala (3, deliberate handball)

Referee: Andy Haines (Newcastle): No complaints with the red card, but made other decisions which caused consternation 5

Attendance: 3,261

Entertainment: 5/5

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-4-2):

6 Carson: Heads away on international duty after conceding two – let down by his wall for the first, but caught out a little for the second;

7 Richards: A 85th minute 80 yard chase back to win possession which ended in cramp epitomised his effort and workrate

2 Nsiala: Caught out by the bounce and instinctively handled to leave his team short for 87 minutes

7 Bates: Put his nous and experience to good use as he kept Featherstone in check and used a cool head in trying circumstances

7 Carroll: Faultless at left-back, the sort of performance he is turning in week after week now. Solid and disciplined positionally;

8 Thomas: Unplayable in the second-half when he took the game to the visitors – and their only way of stopping him was to bring him down

8 Featherstone: A unfamiliar day with a rare and welcome goal, and then spent the rest of the game doing a fine job at centre-half

8 Woods: After a dip in standards the previous week, he was instrumental this time out. Didn’t chase lost causes, but kept his shape and used the ball well throughout

8 Alessandra: Roamed, chased and looked to drive Pools forward. Ran himself into the ground later on as he ended as a lone striker;

6 Paynter: Hard going up front as a single front man relying on players to make themselves available, but did the job of keeping the opposition defenders busy

9 AMOND: Scored and soon settled in a busy, deeper midfield role. Played as if he’s been doing the job in there for years.

Subs:

Harrison (for Paynter 57): A welcome return and looked an improved defender for his spell out of the picture, winning headers in the manner he used to 7

Donnelly (for Bates 75)

Hawkins (for Amond 81)

(not used): Bartlett (gk), Oates, Deverdics, Laurent.

NEWPORT COUNTY (4-4-2): Day 5; Bignot 6, Jones 6, Bennett 5, Butler 5; Jackson 6 (Barnum-Bobb 76), Randall 6, Labadie 5 (Tozer 64, 5), Myrie-Williams 5 (Compton 53, 6); PARKIN 7, Rigg 7. Subs (not used): Bittner (gk), Owen-Evans, Sheehan, Green.

MAN OF THE MATCH Padraig Amond – centre-forward, who shone when he dropped into midfield.