Newtown 4 Cefn Druids 1

NICK Rushton led the scoring with two goals as Newtown stormed back to sink Cefn Druids for their first win of the campaign.

While Rushton went home with the plaudits this was a complete home display with Neil Mitchell and Ryan Edwards also among the goals.

Newtown went into the game still searching for their first win of the season despite impressing in parts in their previous two home fixtures and in their draw at Haverfordwest County earlier in the season.

Once again the Robins played their part in a lively opening with both sides trying their luck from distance.

Sean McAllister fired wide from 25 yards for the hosts before Alex Darlington's speculative volley from 30 yards out on the right wing dipped just over the bar.

However it was the Druids who led after 20 minutes when Steff Edwards' cross from the left found its way to Darlington who fed Iwan Cartwright to swivel home from the edge of the area.

The match soon resumed its previous tempo with both sides enjoying spells of possession.

On 37 minutes the Robins hit back when McAllister regained possession to release Edwards to drill a wonderful shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Mike Jones from 25 yards.

It was all Newtown in the second-half with the home side leading for the first time on 47 minutes when an inch perfect left wing cross from Jake Kelly was headed home on the far post by Mitchell.

Newtown continued to dominate with Mitchell in particularly impressive as the Robins set the tone.

The match began to open up with Druids often enough their own worst enemies in their attempts to build from the back as George Hughes came to dictate proceedings.

Hughes won back possession to free Rushton on the right whose cross was met by Jamie Breese on the far post only for Jones to pull off a point blank save.

Rushton broke the Druids offside trap to race onto a Kelly throughball before rounding Jones and firing onto the post from a tight angle on the hour as the pressure built.

Hughes and Rushton went close before the pressure finally gave way on 67 minutes as Ben Barratt was adjudged to have handled Kelly's left wing cross with Rushton expertly converting the resulting penalty.

Edwards forced Jones into a fine save from distance as Newtown continued to lay siege.

With 15 minutes remaining the home side added a fourth with Hughes winning back possession on the edge of the area to release Rushton to complete his brace.

Barely a minute later Hughes fed Breese who lashed over from a promising position.

Newtown rang the changes which should have led to a fifth goal late on when substitute Tyrone Ofori raced onto Mitchell's glanced header only to fire over the bar with Jones at his feet.

Newtown

Jones, Phillips (C Williams 75), Kelly, McAllister, Mills-Evans, O'Neill, Mitchell, Rushton (Evans 75), Breese (Ofori 75), Edwards, Hughes: Subs: Steventon, Davies.

Cefn Druids

Jones, Green, Simpson, Reed, Brazel (Smith 55), Darlington, Flint (Fuller 85), Cartwright, Barratt, Reilly (Wise 76), S Edwards. Subs: Szczepaniak, B Edwards.