Newport County 4-1 AFC Wimbledon

AFC boss Neal Ardley bemoaned a first half that cost his side the match at Newport.

He saw the home side take the lead, but reckoned a County second 20 seconds after the break was the killer.

"It wasn't a 4-1. I know that was the final result but that was a result of chasing a game," he said.

"In the first half, there was not much between the teams. We were a bit tentative and we needed to up the tempo a bit, but that was about it.

"I was sure that we would finish stronger than them and I was sure that we had goals in there. The second goal is the moment that kills us.

AFC Wimbledon manager Neal Ardley

"After that, you have to go flat out to chase the game. From that moment, you have 43 minutes to get two goals. I felt we could do it, but when you're chasing the game you're also leaving it open."

Dons had to chase the game after they fell behind when Ismail Yakubu, once of AFC, nodded in from a corner.

In truth, it had been hard going up till then with only Sean Rigg making inroads on the County with a header just over from a Ben Harrison cross.

Before that, Akinfenwa also got his head to a chance that drifted wide, but he finally got on the scoresheet in the 70th minute when he finally rose highest to score.

Aaron O'Connor's effort from the edge of the box in the final minute just rubbed salt in Wimbledon wounds.

AFC fell behind when one of their own from the past, Ismail Yakubu, nodded in from a corner.

Shea, Fuller, Harrison (Kennedy 57), Moore, Barrett, Bennett, Rigg (Saint-Luce 74), Bulman, Akinfenwa, Tubbs, Francomb (Azeez 58); subs not used: McDonnell, Phillips, Beere, Nicholson