Cardiff City players Mark Harris and Stuart O’Keefe went head-to-head in a Checkatrade Trophy match at Rodney Parade in Newport.
’Sparky’ Harris scored in Newport County’s 2-0 win against Plymouth Argyle and helped ensure the Exiles progress to the knockout stages.
Harris joined County on loan to help his development, while O’Keefe, who is under contract with the Bluebirds until next summer, captained the visiting team.
Teenagers Antoine Semenyo and Harris scored the goals for Newport, who are now focused on Saturday’s League Two home clash with Colchester United.
Manager Michael Flynn will put the Checkatrade Trophy out of his mind and put everything into Newport’s home match against a Colchester team who are just ahead of them in the table.
A win for County would lift them ahead of the U’s, who are currently third.
Captain David Pipe and his Newport team-mates have qualified from the group stages for the first time since the revamp of the competition in 2016.
First half goals from Semenyo and Harris secured the win and County finish runners-up behind Chelsea under-21s in the group table.
The Exiles go into the draw for the first knockout round, to be made on Friday afternoon, with the potential opposition standing as Oxford United, Luton Town, Swansea City under-21s or Cheltenham Town.
Manager Michael Flynn made five changes to his starting side for the FA Cup win at Metropolitan Police.
Goalkeeper Nick Townsend took over from Joe Day and kept a clean sheet, while Mark O’Brien replaced Mickey Demetriou in a four-man defence composed of Pipe, Dan Butler and Fraser Franks.
Scot Bennett was back after a hamstring injury to partner Tyreeq Bakinson in the defensive midfield positions, coming in for Matty Dolan, with Josh Sheehan operating just in front of them.
Harris, Semenyo and Robbie Willmott provided the main attacking threat with Jamille Matt and Padraig Amond among the substitutes.
Plymouth knew they could not progress in the Trophy and, with their League One relegation battle in mind, manager Derek Adams made a full 11 changes to his Emirates FA Cup team that defeated Stevenage thanks to a stoppage time winner.
Adams gave debuts to three scholars – 19-year-old left-back Ryan Law, centre-half Michael Peck, aged 17, and midfield player Adam Randall, who is 18.
Newport knew exactly what they had to do if they were to claim a place in the last 32. A win was enough for them to make progress, while a scoreline of five or more would have handed them top place and a home draw in the first knockout round.
County’s opening goal came after 35 minutes and was a reward for Semenyo’s sheer persistence with a twisting run. The striker skipped past three challenges and the Bristol City loanee smashed past goalkeeper Kyle Letheran, a Llanelli-born former Wales under-21 international.
County’s second on 45 minutes when Willmott battled his way towards the penalty area before delivering a pinpoint delivery for Harris to head low past the Plymouth goalkeeper.
Scot Bennett went off with what had looked like a recurrence of his hamstring problem, taken off as a precautionary measure, with Charlie Cooper taking over.
Youth Academy player Owen Taylor was given his first Newport minutes of the season when he replaced man of the match Willmott.
Newport County AFC (4-2-3-1): Townsend, Pipe (capt), Franks, O’Brien, Butler, Bennett (Cooper 38), Bakinson (Hillman 78), Harris, Sheehan, Willmott (Taylor 85), Semenyo. Subs not used: Day, Amond, Matt
Plymouth Argyle (4-5-1): Letheran, Law, Grant, Peck, Smith-Brown, Randall, Wylde, Battle, O’Keefe (capt) (Purrington 81), Ainsworth (Fletcher 78), Taylor (Dyson 74). Subs not used: Cooper, Lolos, Goulty, Garside
Referee: Brett Huxtable
Attendance: 962 (63 away)
The draw for Checkatrade Trophy round two will be made by two former winners of the competition, former Swansea City player Leon Britton and Steve Claridge, live on TalkSPORT 2 on Friday (November 16).
The draw is also available to follow via @CheckatradeTrpy on Twitter.
