Afan Lido and Newport City shared the points in a goalless draw at the South stage of the Welsh Championship on Friday evening. The result leaves the hosts eight points clear of the drop zone after nine games, while Newport City remain rooted in thirteenth place with six points from five matches.
By then, Afan Lido had already built enough of a cushion to breathe easier, whereas Newport City's recent run of defeats makes this stalemate less painful than it could have been. To be fair, neither side looked particularly dangerous in the final third, and the draw reflected that mutual caution.
Afan Lido came into this fixture with mixed results — a narrow win over Pontpridd Town, a heavy defeat to Trethomas Bluebirds, and a draw with Inshyr Albions among their last five outings. Newport City's form was more concerning, with consecutive losses to Inshyr Albions and Baglan Dragons following an earlier victory over Pontardawe Town.
And here's the thing about a 0:0 in this league — it often means both managers played it safe, and neither side could find a way through the other's defence. The pitch cut up badly by the second half, which further limited any open play that might have emerged.
The home side now sits four points above the relegation playoff positions, while Newport City's gap to safety remains concerning at six points from their five-game tally. Afan Lido have now gone unbeaten in two, while Newport City have failed to score in their last two away fixtures.
