Newport County 3-1 Walsall: Saddlers crash out of FA Cup at first hurdle

Walsall bowed out of the FA Cup in the first round with a 3-1 defeat to Newport County at Rodney Parade on Saturday afternoon.

Andy Dallas smashed the Saddlers ahead inside six minutes, before goals from Kion Etete and Michael Adu-Poku turned the game around before the interval, writes Jack Dakin.

Etete netted his second of the afternoon on the hour from his own rebounded initial strike.

The loss means Walsall fail to make the FA Cup second round for the first time since the 2020/21 season, with a 2-1 defeat to Bristol Rovers six years ago.

Although the defeat was only the Saddlers’ third of the season in all competitions, the manner it came in was perhaps most surprising.

Walsall boss Lee Grant made a quadruple change to the team that secured a late 3-1 win over Colchester United last weekend, as Dallas, Courtney Clarke, Ryan Leak and Sven Sprangler replaced Tai Sodje, Reece Smith, James Connolly and Isaac Moore; Sprangler donning the armband against his former side.

Saddlers academy prospect Ryan Sjoerdsma was named amongst the substitutes, as was fullback Roman Dixon – hunting his first minutes since late September, with a calf injury seeing him sidelined.

Shortly before kick-off, Mason Hancock dropped out of the starting line-up after picking up an injury in the warm up, with James Furlong replacing him at left-back.

Walsall got off to a perfect start across the border as Dallas gave them the lead inside six minutes. Elicha Ahui’s cross found Aaron Pressley in space, but his header was skewed away from goal. However, the ball landed at the feet of Dallas in the six-yard box, who smashed home at the near post.

The Saddlers had to do some defensive work after their opener as the hosts pushed for an immediate leveller. Ryan Leak produced two superb blocks in quick succession to stop strikes from Etete and Ciaran Brennan in the box, with no way through for Newport.

Walsall’s defensive stubbornness would not last though, as Etete rifled an equaliser past Jed Ward into the top corner 19 minutes in after Brennan found the striker in space.

The momentum was firmly with the Exiles, and they made it count once more thanks to Adu-Poku. Harrison Biggins’ free kick eventually fell to the forward in the box, who saw his first effort blocked by Lewis Simper, but he latched onto the rebound to fire past Ward.

Frustrations were boiling over at Rodney Parade for both sides, with Grant receiving a yellow card on the half hour mark.

Dallas went down in the box clutching his head, meaning referee Robert Massey-Ellis stopped play just as Biggins shaped up to shoot – resulting in an argument between the two sets of coaching staff that Grant was ultimately punished for.

Walsall looked to level things up in South Wales, with Clarke up to his usual trickery on the left flank. He somehow kept the ball by dancing past three Exiles’ defenders and drilled a ball across the face of goal, but no one was there to get on the end of it.

On the cusp of half-time, Dallas spurned a golden opportunity to net the equaliser and his second of the tie. Simper’s lofted cross met the Scotsman in space, who rose highest to meet the ball, but he headed over from six yards out.

Declan Skura came inches from scoring his second goal in as many games with a sublime 25-yard strike 10 minutes after the restart, but a fingertip stop from Jordan Wright prevented the equaliser.

With an hour played at Rodney Parade, the Exiles struck next to extend their lead to two as Etete grabbed a brace. A long ball landed at the feet of the Newport striker, who saw his initial effort strike the post from close range, but he reacted quickest to meet the rebound and tap past Ward.

A quiet 15 minutes followed, with little of note for both teams, until Sodje wasted the chance of the half for Walsall with 10 left to play. Moore crossed into his fellow substitute, lurking in the six-yard box, but he failed to nod past Wright.

The remainder of the FA Cup tie petered out with the Exiles still in control, with sloppy passes and errors littered throughout for Grant’s side – a running theme in south Wales.

Newport County (4-2-3-1): Wright, Davies, Sassi, Jenkins, Norman (Thomas 81’), Brennan, M. Smith (C. Evans 90’), Bamba (Gwenge 90’), Biggins, Adu-Poku (Lewis 56’), Etete (Crole 90’).

Subs not used: Turner, K. Evans, Merritt, Garner.

Walsall (4-2-3-1): Ward, Furlong, Leak, Skura, Ahui, Crew (Moore 64’), Sprangler, Clarke (Sjoerdsma 90’), Dallas (Sodje 64’), Simper (R. Smith 64’), Pressley (Adomah 76’)

Subs not used: Wooster, Connolly, Burke, Dixon.

Referee: Robert Massey-Ellis.

Attendance: 3205 (495)