Newport find home comforts to end Brackley Town's FA Cup dream
Newport County won their first game at home for eight months and ended Brackley Town's FA Cup dream with a 4-1 victory at Rodney Parade. The National League North side were behind after just 38 seconds when Exiles striker Lenell John-Lewis squeezed a shot home after Luke Graham failed to tame the wind and Joe Day's long ball downfield. It got worse for Kevin Wilkin's side after 17 minutes after Danny Holmes was fouled on the edge of the box. Newport midfielder Yan Klukowski stepped up and curled the free-kick beyond goalkeeper Sam Hornby and into the top-left corner. On-loan right-back Aidan Hawtin gave Brackley hope after 39 minutes when he met James Akintunde's cross with a powerful drive. But Newport's John-Lewis found Alex Rodman with enough space in the box to find the bottom corner after 63 minutes.And having scored at the right end, Hawtin deflected substitute Tom Owen-Evans' cross into his own goal after 71 minutes to send Newport into a second-round tie away at Barnet.