THE shape of the game at Newport County on Saturday was dictated by the condition of the pitch, which had to be seen to be believed. It made for an unusual match and definitely not one for football purists.

It was always going to be a physical game, similar to the recent Mansfield match in many ways but with the state of the pitch effectively playing its part as Newport’s 12th man.

The pitch had been used by elite Rugby Union side Newport Gwent Dragons on the Friday night and it was a mix of sand and soil rolled flat before the game with a roller, with bumps and dips all over. If you tried to pass the ball in a straight line it would bobble all over the place. The bounce was unpredictable.

The pitch determined how both sides approached the game. Inevitably, Graham Westley will seek to get his Newport team to use the pitch to their advantage.

For both sides, defensively it was a question of getting the ball away from danger and hopefully into attacking positions, via an aerial route a lot of the time.

If the ball is up in the air it really doesn’t matter which side has the more gifted players as it’s not about that.

It was more a question of bravely contesting everything, often with the ball in the air, and finding the right times at which to try to retain possession by passing the ball. Even as the game developed and the pace slackened a fraction it became no easier, such was the work-rate of both sides.

Newport’s approach was evident within the first three minutes, by which time the ball had been hoisted towards our penalty box four times, much as expected.

That is not a criticism of Newport or their manager. They are deep in trouble at the foot of the table and it would be fatal for them to think they can play their way out of trouble against sides who have good technical players, on such an atrocious playing surface.

We stood up to Newport physically and never shirked a challenge in the air or on the deck and it won us a good point. It was a shame that we didn’t find a couple of magic moments to create a winning goal and extend the winning sequence to six games, but a point was a good reward for our battling.

We tried passing the ball when the opportunities arose. Brennan Dickenson had the beating of Newport number 18 David Pipe in the air and on the ground, but we couldn’t conjure a decisive moment to make it count. Pipe had the look of a fearsome defender, but when it came to the crunch he was a bit of a paper tiger.

As the old saying goes, if you can’t control the ball you can’t control the game and for long periods the game was more of a battle than a contest of football skills. Craig Slater was one of the few players to totally master the playing surface thanks to his touch and confidence.

Newport struck first with a goal that was nearly prevented. Apparently Josh Sheehan’s shot was deflected, but I have to admit I didn’t see a deviation despite being right behind the line of the ball.

Maybe at least one defender could have got something on the ball as it passed, but you could see the split-second decision that the danger the ball would probably be snicked into our net. Somehow it ended up there anyway, sneaking improbably inside the far post.

Kurtis Guthrie won the equalising penalty which secured our point. It came from a typically adventurous attack on the Newport penalty box in which won the ball in the air and then foxed two defenders, before cutting inside. It ended with Kurtis being up-ended as the reward for attacking defenders in a dangerous area.

Kurtis quite fancied taking the spot-kick, but surrendered the ball amicably when Chris Porter pulled rank. Porter duly rolled the ball home without any fuss.

Newport worked fantastically hard for their manager and deserved their point. Their keeper, Joe Day, was dominant when the ball came into his box in the air, claiming everything with real authority and delivering the ball accurately when kicking. It was a shame we couldn’t have tested other areas of his game a little more.

We lasted the pace well and avoided any late scares from a couple of set pieces in dangerous positions. By that stage our five big men who take up the key defensive positions on set pieces had exerted their authority, and we survived without too much of a scare.

Defensive set pieces have been a strength this season, with Elokobi, Kent, Eastman, Porter and Guthrie the ‘big five’, with Dickenson also very strong in the air, Brindley useful, Garvan knowing which balls he has to win, and Lapslie and Slater always brave.

I suspect we ended with a few injury concerns. Guthrie was taken off before the end which was probably not tactical as he was our danger man. The impressive Slater was also subbed. Kent had a bandage suggesting a sprained or dislocated thumb, which didn’t affect his game. We have a week before we go to Exeter, so hopefully everyone will be fit and firing by the time next Saturday comes around.

In contrast to the fairly tame start to the season, we have had the culture shock of facing Mansfield, Cheltenham and Newport in the last few weeks. Those three sides have shown just how physical League Two can get.

That’s enough from me. It is hard to wax lyrical about the Newport game as it was such a hard slog. Exeter will be a vastly different proposition, but no easier. But the game will be far easier on the eye as a spectacle and more of a test of technical ability.