10 years ago Pool 2 Newport C 2

Newport deserved no less than next Monday's replay at what is likely to be an intimidating atmosphere with 2,600 of the 3,000-strong crowd smelling blood.

McMahon himself was man enough to admit Newport deserve their crack at Blackpool on home soil after being within 13 minutes of pulling off an upset. What he's got to make sure is that it's a different Pool who run out for the return to back up his bullish "beware" replay message to the Welshmen. Macca's men were certainly wounded by what went on at Bloomfield Road. Let's hope that prompts them to deliver the threatened backlash. Newport are certain to make life uncomfortable. They got under the Seasiders' skin even before play got under way on Saturday. Some choice wind-up words were apparently swapped in the tunnel as the players lined up, and in the first half it looked as if Pool were rattled.

Newport settled the better. Roared on by a fervent almost 1,000 strong support, the non-leaguers were good value for their 2-1 half-time lead. They outpassed and outfought Pool in the first period to the extent that the Tangerines were lucky to go in just one goal adrift. McMahon described it afterwards as the worst Pool had played for 18 months. Few of the 4,000 home fans would disagree.

Blackpool were being beaten to the ball in the middle of the park and their weakened defence was being exposed on the break, especially out wide where County were finding acres of space on both flanks. Injury to Brian Reid, meant Tommy Jaszczun again having to deputise as a makeshift centre half. And with former loan star Stephen Caldwell back at Newcastle it meant a return for Ian Hughes. It was the club skipper's first appearance for 16 games and only his sixth of the season. After just a 60-minute midweek run out in the Reserves it was asking a lot for Hughes to slot straight back in. But needs must. And against his native Welshmen Hughes could be forgiven for thinking it was an ideal game to return. On 19 minutes he might have changed his mind! Hughes, facing his own Kop End goal close in and under pressure from Darren Ryan, sliced his attempted clearance into his own net.

James Pullen must take his share of the blame. He had merely fumbled Garry Shephard's shot across his goal, putting Hughes' in a difficult position. But the East Paddock north, which had been turned into a noisy corner of Wales for the day, didn't care about the circumstances or it being an own goal. They went wild. Hughes went some way to making amends 17 minutes later, heading Paul Simpson's right wing corner against the far post, setting up Tommy Jaszczun to lash the rebound through a crowd of players high into the net from eight yards out.

But if Blackpool and their followers, who had suddenly found their voice again, thought that would be the end of Newport's resistance, they were wrong. Within three minutes those self-same voices were silent again. Newport were back in front. Another gift. Pullen found out how fickle football can be. Hero last week for his last-gasp penalty save against Swindon, villain this. Pullen dropped Stuart James' corner under pressure. And in a crowded area, Billy Clark managed to get enough on the ball to force it in. Pool were 2-1 down.

In first half injury time, a golden chance at either end. If either had been converted we might not have needed a replay. Both were missed. First Newport had a glorious opportunity to make it 3-1, Ryan going close on the end of Shephard's cross. And then at the South Paddock end John Murphy, making his first appearance for six games since limping off at Peterborough, went within a whisker of levelling.

Murphy and Ormerod, showing a rare flash of the understanding which makes them one of Division Two's most feared strike forces, worked a one-two on the right. From the return ball Murphy, who hadn't even had the luxury of a Reserve appearance on his way back from injury, was in behind the defence with only keeper Pat Mountain to beat. From a tight angle Murphy beat Mountain with his low rolled shot but the ball bobbled agonisingly wide of the far post. The second half was all about Newport running out of steam and Blackpool increasingly gaining control.

Newport boss Tim Harris surprisingly took off target man Shephard just 12 minutes after the break adding to Pool's growing confidence. But despite enjoying ever more possession and territorial advantage, sloppy passes were continuing to undermine Pool's efforts to get back on level terms. It needed someone to take the bull by the horns. And fittingly with 13 minutes left Martin Bullock did just that. He made a darting run into the box on the right and won a penalty when Jason Perry pulled him down.

Substitute Neil MacKenzie, who had only been on the pitch 15 minutes, was man enough to step forward and take responsibility for the spot-kick. And cool-as-you-like MacKenzie calmly sent Mountain the wrong way, stroking the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the Kop End goal. Pool couldn't conjure a winner. It would have been a complete injustice if they had. And there was the odd nearpost wobble from Pullen at corners to keep everyone on their toes. A draw was a fair result over the 90 minutes. As to the inquest of what went so wrong?

For me, too many key players had off days. I'm a big Paul Simpson fan, but this was the worst game I'd seen Pool's playmaker have for the club. There's also no bigger Ormerod fan than me – with the exception of son Dylan, and the rest of Brett's family! But Brett had one of those days when nothing went for him. The only time he was clean through in the second half he lashed his shot wide. He denied afterwards that it was anything to do with a £1m bid from Premiership Southampton. But it would be a superhuman who wasn't slightly put off his game.

Pool's attitude just wasn't what was required. Newport showed more urgency, more fight, and more determination, tired legs their only undoing at the end.

Leading the exceptions for Pool was John Hills. When he regained ground to pull off an impressive sliding tackle in the first half it summed up his fight. Hills will never be found wanting for passion. Jaszczun, despite being criticised for allowing Shephard to turn for County's opener, was accomplished in an unfamiliar position. Bullock showed flashes, Murphy knocked some nice lay-offs, and Coid made some determined challenges.

But there weren't enough of these moments from enough of the players. And without the banned Richard Wellens another vital ingredient was missing.

MacKenzie deserves praise for doing all he could while he was on the pitch, including his face-saving leveller. And that just about sums it up. Pool are grateful to live to fight another day. But fight they will have to do to make sure they are the ones in round two.