Monday 8 December 2025 16:31
This was an intriguing match-up given that both teams were sat at the top of the table with 41points with an identical playing record but it was the visitors who came out on top showing exactly why it is they who are leading the challenge for an immediate promotion back to the National leagues.
After the impressive victory at Bridgnorth this crucial game perhaps came too soon after the herculean efforts of last week. They were also forced into changes with key personnel Joe Parkin, Callum Cload, Tim Waqadau and Matt Hubbart all missing for a variety of reasons, Jack Ingram, Benny Elliot, Fin Barnes and Jake Reynolds coming into the squad.
The pitch was in remarkable condition given the relentless rain endured throughout the week and credit must go to the Grounds team for producing such a good playing surface. There was some early controversy when the referee insisted that Newport play in their grey “change strip” which rather than improving matters made his own job all the more difficult not to mention the large crowd who found it near impossible to differentiate between the two teams especially given the rather gloomy conditions.
Bournville won the toss and elected to play with the slope and breeze in their favour but it was Newport who were making the early inroads but when the visitors broke they were awarded a penalty thirty-five metres out and Jacob Fewtrell slotted the kick to give them a three point advantage after eight minutes.
Port were under pressure but defending well showing the same grit and determination from the previous week. Fewtrell had another opportunity when Newport strayed offside but the kick was pushed to the left. Charlie Pugh looked to have pierced the Bourn’s defence but was brought back as Newport were deemed guilty of “crossing”
Newport then failed to deal with a fairly innocuous looking kick and Kieran Henderson gathered up the loose ball and scampered away to beat the cover and score by the posts, Fewtrell adding the extras to make it 0 – 10 after seventeen minutes.
The home side survived several scares both from line outs and scrums not far short of their own line before Bournville spurned a golden chance throwing a forward pass with a three man overlap and clear run to the line. Uluaki Kale, restored to the starting line-up then made a great charge up the middle before handing on to John Tuia. Port were then awarded a penalty which Elliot put to within fifteen metres. Bourns were warned about repeat offences in the red zone but no card was forthcoming – it mattered not as Kale was driven over for the try which Elliot converted to take us into the break 7 – 10 down.
Newport could be well satisfied having restricted Bourns to a narrow advantage but they made a disastrous start to the second period. Immediately from the re-start Kale drove through impressively but as Newport tried to move the ball left they conceded the scrum thirty metres out. Bourns ran it left and Nathan Decalmer chipped in behind the defence and easily won the footrace to touchdown to extend the Bournville lead to 7 – 15.
Kale then found himself miles offside and was shown a yellow card which gave Fewtrell the chance to stretch their lead even further with a successful kick from thirty metres out to make it 7 – 18 after fifty-one minutes with Port now trying to recover the situation whilst being down to fourteen.
Elliot had a shot from forty metres to try and both peg back the lead but also to waste a little time whilst still being a man short. Port were having plenty of ball but weren’t showing the same penetration that had been on display in previous weeks. Ricky Bailey was then given a yellow for repeat team offences, severely hindering any prospect of Newport turning it round. Fewtrell made a hash of the relatively simple kick but they were now keeping the home side pinned in their own twenty-two before he was able to make amends and tack another three onto their total at 7 – 21 with just eleven minutes left.
Port were now struggling in the scrum and unable to get their hands on much ball. With the game quite clearly gone all that Newport could hope for now was to salvage a losing bonus point. As Bourns strived to keep them out they suffered a brace of yellow cards themselves to even up the card count for the day before Mike Adams was driven over. With Elliot off the field the conversion attempt fell to Ingram but he pulled his effort across the face of the posts leaving the final score at 12 – 21.
Newport were not at the levels they showed last week but sometimes you can only play as well as you are allowed and there was no doubt that Bournville deserved their win to open up a four point gap at the top of the table. Despite the loss Newport remain in second spot.
Another tough game awaits next week when they travel to Bromsgrove, who have picked up some impressive victories over the last few weeks and will prove to be difficult to overcome. Kick-Off is at 2.15pm