Crawley Town 3, Newport County 1
Welshman Josh Yorwerth led the way in Crawley Town’s victory against Newport County in League Two.
Bridgend-born centre-half Yorwerth, a former Cardiff City youth player, was man of the match and scored Crawley’s second goal.
County are now four points adrift at the bottom of League Two, although they have a game in hand, and manager Graham Westley criticised his team for a lack of discipline.
They now have three successive home games in before the New Year, including Plymouth Argyle in an FA Cup second round replay this Wednesday.
The winners will play Liverpool at Anfield in round three.
Newport’s other remaining matches in 2016 are against Portsmouth on Boxing Day or Exeter City on Saturday, January 31 (both 3pm).
Westley, though, has been far more concerned about Newport’s plight in League Two and said after the Crawley defeat: “We were ill-disciplined and I think that came from a lack of work ethic.
“We have spoken a lot of home truths in the dressing room. We have not been good enough this season.
“There were a lot of home truths spoken in the changing room, most were aimed at the senior players.
“That’s the right way to conduct things. You need to deal with your big characters and ask them questions, and that’s where we are at.
“It has not been good enough so far this season and it needs sorting out. It’s now a question of getting a reaction from them.
“The only fortunate thing is that the transfer window does open and we can finally do something about it in terms of injecting the squad – Saturday shows there are some big injections needed.
“Newport have changed the manager once and stepped forward a bit, but is it the manager that’s the problem when a football club is demonstrating consistent losing?
“Those that aren’t prepared to do their jobs properly are lads who either need to find new employment or step up to the plate.
“I know full well that if we keep performing to those kind of standards we aren’t going to win very many games.
Crawley started brightly and went ahead after three minutes when Lewis Collins whipped in a cross and James Collins headed in.
Newport had a couple of long-range efforts by Tom Owen-Evans which flew over the bar and wide.
It was Joss Labadie who equalised just after the half hour when his shot took a deflection off Yorwerth on its way into the roof of the net.
County sent on Rhys Healey for Marlon Jackson in attack, but Crawley netted twice in six minutes just after half-time.
Yorwerth headed in Smith’s cross from a free-kick after 48 minutes and it was Smith who netted the third (51).
Yorwerth made amends for accidentally helping in the Exiles’ equaliser when he scored in the 48th minute. A Roberts cross was headed down by Collins and Smith fired home.
Goalkeeper Glenn Morris kept Reds’ two-goal lead with a full-length save to tip over an on-target free-kick by Josh Sheehan and then during injury time Newport were awarded a penalty.
Healey was fouled, took the spot-kick and fired against the bar before turning in the rebound.
But referee Nick Tinselly disallowed the effort, ruling that as it was technically a dead ball situation another player needed to touch it before Healey was able to tuck away the rebound.
Crawley: Morris, Young, Payne, Connolly, Boldewijn (Bawling 80), Smith (capt), Roberts (Yussuf 86), Blackman, Yorwerth, Clifford (Djalo 90), Collins. Unused subs: Beeney, Davey, McNerney, Henderson.
Newport County: Day, Bobb, Jones, Labadie (Green 65), Myrie-Williams, Tozer (Wood 75), Jackson (Healey 46), Sheehan, Bennett (capt), Owen-Evans, O’Hanlon. Unused subs: Randall, Bognot, Bittner, Meite.
Referee: Nick Kinseley
Attendance: 2,022 (168 away).