MORGAN ON THE MARK IN CASTLE "CUPSET"

Tom Morgan (pictured) scored the only goal on seventeen minutes to give the O's a Preliminary Round tie against local rivals Brislington a fortnight from now.

O's manager Dale Dempsey named one new signing in his first starting eleven of the season with Tyrone Fudgell selected in midfield. Newport boss Andy Sampson would have been boosted by his team's late winner at Fareham on Tuesday night that got his side off to a winning start in the Wessex League Premier Division.

The first fifteen minutes weren't chanceless but not far off it. Scott Robson fired over from the edge of the box while for Newport, Joe Butcher got on the end of a cross but couldn't direct his header goalwards. So when Oldland took the lead on seventeen minutes, it came a little from nothing. Robson shot towards goal, keeper Gary Streeter saved but could only set up Tom Morgan who poked home.

The same player almost made it two on the half hour but saw his shot from a tight angle saved by Streeter who this time pushed the ball into the side netting. Late on in the half, Connor Kelly tested Josh Dempsey with a free kick 25 yards out but found the keeper equal to his effort.

In the second half, Newport improved and looked to drag themselves back into the match. They felt they should have equalised on 58 minutes when Kelly found the net from distance but ref Andrew Hobbs had already blown for a Newport free kick, frustrating to the Islanders who demanded advantage should have been played.

Spike Pearce then went close with a short range header but his keeper had to react quickly to deny David Stone after the midfielder ran sixty yards with the ball and tried squeezing a shot in at the near post.

Robson and defender Martin McDonough tangled on 65 minutes, both players earning a yellow card from the official but McDonough could perhaps count himself lucky not to see a second yellow four minutes later when he cleaned out Robson after challenging him in the air.

Morgan was then taken out on the edge of the box and from the Gary Shorney free kick, Stone flicked it inches wide at the near post.

As limbs became tired, things threatened to boil over and there were late yellows for Matt Curnock (Oldland) as well as two for dissent from Newport, Aidan Sainsbury and Liam Newbold.

With injuries to Morgan, Robson and Curnock, the official added almost ten minutes on at the end. A chance apiece in that time saw Curnock angle a drive just across the face of goal while Jimmi Burton missed a golden opportunity to take the tie to a replay when he missed the ball completely ten yards out very late on.

With Newport's island rivals Cowes Sports losing 0-3 to Brislington today, there will be no "all IOW" tie in the next round; instead it will be two more teams separated by just three miles or so that will face each other at Oldland on 20th August.