Newport late rally is in vain in Bristol Rovers loss

Luke Thomas scored a quick-fire second-half brace as Bristol Rovers held off a spirited fightback from Newport to edge a 3-2 Severnside derby victory at Rodney Parade.

Thomas put the visitors after 52 minutes and completed his double seven minutes later, while substitute Ellis Harrison added a third before Newport replied twice but were still condemned to a fifth-successive League Two defeat.

After a cagey first half, the match burst into life after the break.

Bobby Kamwa had the ball in the net for the home side three minutes after the restart but the offside flag cut short the celebrations.

And Rovers then broke the deadlock after 52 minutes – following a scramble in the box – when Fabrizio Cavegn hit the post and was then denied by goalkeeeper Nik Tzanev before Thomas scrambled a shot over the line.

Tzanev then gifted Thomas a second just before the hour when his wayward clearance was clinically dispatched by the midfielder and Newport-born Harrison headed in a third after 72 minutes.

Kai Whitmore’s impressive strike six minutes later gave the hosts hope and Leicester loanee Nathan Opoku poked in a second for the hosts a minute from time but Rovers held on.