IT WAS a tough one to take for City as they were well beaten 3-0 at home by new League Two leaders Newport.

T&A chief sports writer SIMON PARKER supplies the match stats and player ratings from an afternoon to forget at Valley Parade.

MAN OF THE MATCH

City were poor all round but Richard O’Donnell could not be blamed for any of the goals and did make a couple of saves second half to prevent even further damage.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Anthony O’Connor clipped the bar to cause Newport keeper Nick Townsend his only brief moment of discomfort.

MOAN OF THE MATCH

City looked off the pace, tentative and sloppy – they were never at the races against a confident Newport side who could have won by more.

TACTICS

City made four changes from the Walsall game with Billy Clarke and Callum Cooke supporting a front three of Kurtis Guthrie, Lee Novak and Austin Samuels.

REFEREE: Declan Bourne

BOOKING: Cooper (Newport)

SHOTS ON TARGET: City 5 Newport 6

SHOTS OFF TARGET: City 5 Newport 8

CORNERS: City 3 Newport 6

FOULS: City 15 Newport 12

PLAYER RATINGS

CITY: O’Donnell 6, French 4 (P O’Connor 46min, 4), A O’Connor 4, Richards-Everton 4, Wood 4, Cooke 5, Watt 5, Clarke 5, Samuels 4 (Mottley-Henry 46min, 4), Novak 5, Guthrie 4 (Donaldson 66min). Subs (not used): Longridge, Pritchard, Cousin-Dawson, Hornby.

NEWPORT: Townsend 7, Cooper 7, Dolan 7, Demetriou 8, Shephard 8, Sheehan 7, Labadie 7 (Bennett 64min), Haynes 7, Twine 7, Abrahams 7 (Proctor 83min), Janneh 6 (Amond 42min, 8). Subs (not used): Baker, Willmott, Ellison, King.