Newport given official admission on penalty denial

Newport County boss David Hughes has welcomed an offcial admission that his side could have been awarded a penalty last weekend.

However, the Exiles' coach says they cannot dwell on what might have been following a 1-0 defeat to Swindon that left his side bottom of League Two.

On-loan forward Nathaniel Opoku appeared to have been dragged down in the box during the game at Rodney Parade but referee Declan Bourne waved away penalty appeals.

The PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) have since issued a statement to the Welsh club acknowledging that Bourne may have made a mistake.

"It might have been short of an apology but it was an acceptance that maybe the referee didn't make the right decision." said Hughes.

"So we're aware of the fact he's made a decision, an error. It doesn't help us so we have to accept it, we have to move on."

It was a third consecutive League Two defeat for Newport who have taken just one point from the last available 18 and Hughes hopes that such decisions will even themselves out over the season.

"We have to believe that they will go for us moving forward and we get the opportunities to capitalise when the next one gets given in our favour," he added.

County did enjoy a change of fortune on Tuesday with a morale-boosting 1-0 win at rivals Cardiff City 1-0 in the EFL Trophy.

Hughes will be hoping his side can build on that first success in any competition since early August as they travel to 20th placed Accrington Stanley on Saturday (15:00 BST) looking for only a second league win of the season.