Bristol Rovers

Attendance: 7,442 (518)

Rovers suffered their first defeat in six games losing 1-4 to Newport County at the Memorial Stadium.

A Tom Parkes own goal started the game on a bad foot for Rovers before Billy Bodin pulled the home side level before half time. Zak Ansah struck twice in the second half before Tommy O'Sullivan rounded off the win for the Welsh side.

Darrell Clarke made two changes to the side that drew with Notts County at the Mem on Tuesday bringing in Tom Parkes to replace the injured Mark McChrystal and Jermaine Easter replaced Ellis Harrison in the starting 11.

Both sides started slowly, seemingly trying to feel each other out before Rovers were handed a massive let off on the fifth minute. Newport attacked down their right hand side before a ball into the box found left wingback Scott Barrow. Barrow hit the ball early but saw his effort hit the base of the post before Tom Lockyer was able to hack the ball to safety.

The game sparked into life just before the half hour mark as a seemingly harmless cross from the Newport left hand side was headed into the back of the Rovers net by Tom Parkes in what seemed a bizarre own goal.

Moments later Billy Bodin fired Rovers level as he found a pocket of space on the edge of the County penalty area before lashing a 25-yard strike past an outstretched Joe Day.

In what was a pretty open first half Rovers had a decent chance a few minutes later as Jake Gosling picked out Jermaine Easter inside the penalty area after a clever run but the Welshman could only hit the side netting with his left footed effort.

Rovers then started to take control of the game as a powerful run from Stuart Sinclair into the penalty area resulted in Scot Bennett putting the ball behind for a Rovers corner. The corner itself was cleared but Darrell Clarke's side retained possession and crafted another good chance as Daniel Leadbitter showed a good turn of pace on the Rovers right before picking out Jermaine Easter in the penalty area who volleyed into the arms of Joe Day.

The boys in blue and white continued to press for a second goal as superb linkup play with Jake Gosling and Jermaine Easter saw Easter advance into the penalty area before seeing his shot saved well by Day before the rebound fell to Matty Taylor who thundered an effort off the outside of the left post.

Darrell Clarke's team started the second half well but it was Newport who took the lead again through a bad piece of goalkeeping from Lee Nicholls. A Lenell John-Lewis shot was deflected off of Tom Lockyer into the arms of Nicholls who then spilled the ball allowing Zak Ansah to slot home into an open net.

Things went from bad to worse for the home side as Tom Parkes hesitated on a clearance allowing Zak Ansah a shot on goal and the County striker made no mistake firing the ball past Lee Nicholls.

Newport could sense the Rovers backline was fragile and looked to test the keeper at every opportunity as Ansah and Elito tried their luck from range but neither hit the target with their efforts.

Rovers tried to get themselves back into the game with a double substitution as Chris Lines and Cristian Montano replaced Lee Mansell and Jake Gosling and Lines was involved immediately. His corner was met by the head of Tom Parkes who could only watch as his powerful header came crashing back off the crossbar.

County put the final nail in the Rovers coffin with just under 15 minutes to play as Tommy O'Sullivan fired another long range strike past Lee Nicholls to put John Sherridan's men in firm control of the game.

Rovers tried to get a goal back to restore some pride but efforts from Taylor and Montano were off target and blocked respectively. Up next for Rovers is the trip to the Abbey Stadium to take on Cambridge United on Friday night.

Rovers: Nicholls; Leadbitter, Lockyer, Parkes, Brown; Gosling (Montano - 65), Mansell (C) (Lines - 65), Sinclair, Bodin; Taylor, Easter (Harrison - 73).

Unused Substitutes: Mildenhall (GK), J. Clarke, O. Clarke, Blissett.

Newport: Day, Barrow (Holmes - 87), O'Sullivan (Klukowski - 79), Elito, Ansah (Boden - 83), John-Lewis, Donacien, Bennett, Partridge, Barnum-Bobb, Byrne (C).

Unused Substitutes: Taylor (GK), Taylor, Rodman, Collins.