Newport lead 2–0 at Crewe and are denied a first away league win by a 90th-minute equaliser
Sunday 15 November 2026 · By Reuben Hartwith
Newport County led 2–0 at Crewe Alexandra and were denied a first away league win of the season by a 90th-minute equaliser, drawing 2–2. Luke Offord’s third-minute own goal, a sliced clearance into his own net, and Dan Sassi’s 34th-minute header from a Matty Jacob corner had them in control at half-time. Charlie McNeill pulled one back on 77 minutes after Jordan Wright parried a Joel Tabiner header, and Josh Stephenson headed the late equaliser from Matus Holicek’s cross, according to BBC Sport, Newport’s official report and the South Wales Argus.
Hayden Mullins said he was “disappointed that we didn’t get the win, if I’m being honest”, and that “in the first half, we were really good”, according to BBC Sport. He added that “for two moments we switched off and they capitalised”, and that “we could have folded and thrown away all three points, but we didn’t”. He also said: “We went toe-to-toe with these guys and we are disappointed not to win, which is a good sign.” On this evidence he remains without a first away league win in the job.
Newport are 14th, with 19 points from 15 games, three points off seventh and seven points above the bottom two, who sit on 12. Their last six league games read won, drawn, drawn, lost, won, drawn. Sassi started at right-back and Aaron Lewis played in an advanced midfield role, according to the Argus. Michael Adu-Poku and Tom Davies came on later. No new injuries were found.
BBC Sport lists Newport at home to Swindon Town on Saturday 21 November, with a 12.30pm kick-off. The game is on Sky’s live EFL list. Swindon were beaten 4–1 at home by Grimsby Town on Saturday, and finished the game with ten men. Newport are then listed at Port Vale on Saturday 28 November. Their FA Cup second-round tie at Rochdale is scheduled for Saturday 5 December at 3pm, unless the FA moves it.
A first-half display as strong as that will encourage Mullins, even if the late collapse in concentration, on his own account, will sting. Newport had a first away league win in their sights and let it slip. The lunchtime home game with Swindon is the next chance to turn a good away performance into three points, and the gap to the bottom two remains comfortable for now. The gap to the play-off places is smaller, and still close enough to matter. Mullins was entitled to sound disappointed, because his side had done enough, on his account, to win the game. A lunchtime crowd at home, and a Swindon side coming off a heavy defeat, gives Newport a different kind of test, and one they will want to meet with the first-half standard they showed at Crewe, not the late lapses.
Rodney Parade sits on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre. Newport County have played here since 2012, sharing the ground with Dragons RFC and Newport RFC. For football the capacity is about 7,850. It is one of the oldest continuously used sports grounds in the Football League, opened in 1877, and it still feels like a compact, slightly tucked-away rugby ground rather than a purpose-built football bowl.
Visiting supporters enter at Gate 6 on Corporation Road, not the main Grafton Road gates used by home fans. The path is easy to miss: it runs between houses after the ATS garage, marked by blue poles. Sat-nav NP19 0UU gets you to the site; some clubs quote NP19 0BG for the away turnstile. Buy tickets through your own club in advance when you can. A cash-only booth often operates at Gate 6 on the day unless the fixture is all-ticket.
Away seating is covered in the south end of the Bisley Stand, the modern all-seater along the east touchline. That block is typically a few hundred seats; the dedicated PureVans.com south seating adds more when demand is high. Official figures often quoted are around 609 in the south away stand and about 422 in the Bisley away section. Views from Bisley are the better option. The south seats are closer to the tunnel and big screen but more exposed. Home fans occupy the rest of Bisley, the two-tier Candleston Stand on the west side (seats above, terrace below, dugouts in front), and the uncovered North Terrace behind the town-end goal.
The pitch runs roughly north–south. The north goal sits in front of the North Terrace; the south goal sits in front of the PureVans south stand, with changing rooms and the video screen at that end. TV cameras are in the Bisley Stand and look west, so late kick-offs can have the sun dropping over the city. The surface is a hybrid pitch shared with rugby, so it can cut up in a wet winter.
Stadium parking is scarce and reserved for pre-booked spaces. Most visitors use Kingsway or other city-centre multi-storeys and walk over the footbridge, or try side streets while watching for residents-only restrictions. Newport station is about a 10–15 minute walk across the Usk. Food and drink in the away areas are limited: a burger van just inside the entrance and a bar in the Bisley Stand, usually card only. Accessible toilets and baby-changing are available in the away end; wheelchair spaces for visitors are limited and should be booked in advance.
The clubhouse near the main (home) entrance has often admitted away supporters before the match, though policy can change for bigger games. Nearby, the Godfrey Morgan Wetherspoon on Chepstow Road is a reliable option a short walk from Gate 6. Stewarding is generally straightforward and the atmosphere is typically good-natured rather than hostile. Check the club site before you travel: allocations, cash/card rules and which blocks are open can shift from game to game. Arrive with time to find Gate 6, and you should have a straightforward League Two away day at one of the more characterful grounds on the circuit.