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29th September 2008 - Evening Post
Defeat leaves Port Talbot boss fuming
Port Talbot's home defeat to Newtown has set the club back into doom and gloom. They languish in 12th spot in a season when much was expected of Nick Tucker's men. The Steelmen's boss was totally frustrated at his side's dreadful start as they gifted the Robins two goals in the opening 18 minutes. In the ninth minute Neil Mitchell put the visitors ahead and Craig Moses quickly doubled the advantage. Despite a 47th-minute reply by Martin Rose, Port Talbot failed to find the equaliser after exerting considerable pressure. "We have taken four steps forward recently and now six back," Tucker fumed. "We were shocking collectively for the first 25 minutes and could have been three or four down. At this level you just can't give teams two-goal starts. We played for the full 90 minutes at Carmarthen but today we only performed for 65 minutes. It's very frustrating and I wish I knew the answer. We'll just have to work harder."
29th September 2008 - Western Mail
Big setback for Tucker
Port Talbot manager Nick Tucker thought his side was on the mend after a poor start to the campaign so this setback was a huge disappointment. "After taking four steps forward recently we have now taken six back," Tucker fumed. "We were shocking collectively for the first 25 minutes and could have been three or four down, yet we dominated for 65 minutes. At this level you can’t give teams two goal starts." Although Martin Rose reduced the arrears two minutes after the interval, the Steelmen failed to convert further chances. Newtown, who leap to eighth following their third success of the season, went ahead in the ninth minute, Neil Mitchell latching onto a home error and Craig Moses added the second nine minutes later.
28th September 2008 - www.newtownafc.co.uk
Match Report
Newtown continued the good start to the new campaign with two early strikes which was enough to see the Robins take the three points. With the game only nine minutes old Neil Mitchell struck, Craig Moses fired against the Talbot bar with Mitchell first to react to put the visitors in front. The Robins soon doubled their lead when Moses turned sharply to fire pass Kristian Rogers with a fine right foot shot. Talbot struggled to cause David Jones much concern as the Robins took the interval clear by two. The second half was only a few minutes old when Talbot through Martin Rose got themselves back into the game. The striker managed to beat the Newtown back line before dispatching the ball beyond Jones. The second half saw Talbot have plenty of possession with the Robins coping well with crosses and restricting them to long shots. Jones needed to react quick to drive at the feet of Lee John when clean through and Andrew Thomas timed his tackle well to stop Rose striking on goal. With the game in the closing moments, Mitchell broke clear down the right but fired at Rogers, but the Robins held on to make it 11 points from their last 15 available.
28th September 2008 - The Non-League Paper
Match Report
First half goals for Newtown from Neil Mitchell and Craig Moses, provided the Mid Wales side with their first victory since 2002, at the GenQuip Stadium. Port Talbot responded with an early second half strike from Martin Rose, and they then applied a barrage of pressure on the Robins goal, but it was not enough for to prevent them from slipping to their second home league defeat of the season. With both sides comfortably situated in mid-table, it was Port Talbot who were provided with a chance of moving in front during the opening minute, when Gavin Cadwallader fouled Matthew Walsh. Lee John the delivered the twenty-five yard free kick into the goalmouth only for Hugh Clarke to make the vital headed clearance. Newtown made the dramatic impact during the 9th minute, former Merthyr Tydfil striker Craig Moses had two goalscoring efforts blocked by goalkeeper Kristian Rogers, but it was then left to ex Caersws frontrunner Neil Mitchell to stab the ball in from close range. There were additional celebrations for Newtown, when they added a second goal after 18 minutes with their effective strikeforce, with Mitchell carving out an opening for Moses to deliver a low angle shot into the Port Talbot net. The Steelmen responded to that double setback just after the half-hour, when Martin Rose was denied a goal by the outstretched palm of keeper David Jones. The Latham Park based visitors increase the momentum seven minute before the interval, and an Adam Worton corner was punched away by Rogers after a goalbound delivery from Gavin Cadwallader deflected off Lee Surman. It took Port Talbot only two minutes, on resumption of the second half to find a way back. Rose ventured into the penalty area, avoiding a series of challenges to pick out Matthew Thompson, Rose then darted forward to make himself available to slot home his fifth goal of the season from close range. There was a 55th minute opportunity for Newtown to re-establish a two-goal lead, only for Rogers to gather a pin-point header from the threatening Mitchell. Midway into the second half, Worton set up a chance for Cadwallader, but Rogers reacted well with a timely punched clearance. The action then swiftly moved to the opposite penalty area, with Drew Fahiya combining effectively with Lee John, but he saw his fiercely struck shot saved by Jones. With ten minutes remaining, Port Talbot went close to snatching a vital point, only for former Forest Green defender Darren Davies, to send a twenty yard free kick straight at Jones, after Fahiya was fouled by Danny Jellicoe.
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