Newport knocked off league summit with late defeat - but fight goes on

The Forton Road men were knocked off top spot in Regional One Midlands after a late 20-17 defeat to Banbury at the Old Showground.

Newport allowed a 12-5 half-time lead to slip after the break, suffering their first defeat since early December. The loss leaves them second in the standings, behind Bournville on points difference.

The Fishes now have a break from action before hosting Stourbridge on February 28, with five matches remaining in what is shaping up to be a gripping title race.

"There is a long way to go in this season, there will be plenty more twists and turns yet," said Dolphin. 

"We know we didn't quite play as well as we can do. We will address that at training and get ready to bounce back at Stourbridge. We can't wait for that next challenge.

"They have been tough games all season, you have to be playing at your best. 

"Thankfully, most of the time, we have been and we have been pinching those wins.

"The boys were really disappointed after the match on Saturday and rightly so, we will be reflective and look at the why and how we need to improve and make sure that it happens."

The tight encounter mirrored the reverse fixture in late October, when Newport snatched a late victory with a kick. This time, however, it was Banbury who converted a late penalty to seal the win.

"It is a very competitive league and if you are not quite at your best then anyone can beat one another," added Dolphin.

"That is why it has been such an exciting league all season. We weren't quite at our best and Banbury, fair play to them, threw everything at us.

"It has been two fantastic games. There are no arguments with the result."