Newport County kick-started their season with a shock 3-2 Carabao Cup win against Championship club Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.
Lewis Collins, Chanka Zimba and James Waite were all on target as the Exiles twice recovered from a goal down to seal another famous cup victory and bounce back from Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Michael Flynn’s Walsall in League Two.
Manager James Rowberry made eight changes and the hosts were the better side in the opening stages with Joe Day saving from Admiral Muskwe and Luke Berry before Louie Watson curled a shot just wide.
Midway through the first half, Cameron Jerome headed over before Day again had to be alert to deny Muskwe.
It was no surprise when the Hatters took the lead after half an hour, but the quality of Carlos Mendes Gomes’s goal made it a memorable one.
The former Morecambe man unleashed a rocket from distance and, though Day got his hands to the ball, the goalkeeper couldn’t prevent the opener.
County produced the perfect response, however, as Zimba and Aaron Lewis combined on the right to set up Collins for the equaliser within six minutes.
Wales international Tom Lockyer volleyed over for Luton just before the break, but the centre-back made no mistake five minutes after the restart – firing in confidently with his left foot after being teed up by Dion Pereira to restore the home side’s lead.
But, once again, the much-changed Exiles team refused to go down without a fight and they equalised for a second time just two minutes after falling behind.
Sam Bowen played an inviting ball into the box and Cardiff City loanee Zimba, who timed his run perfectly, slotted in expertly.
Luton pushed hard for a winner, with substitute Elliot Thorpe wasting one chance when Carlton Morris was crying out for the pass.
Five minutes later, Thorpe did cross for Morris only for the striker to volley over the top.
But it was Rowberry’s men who took their opportunity when it came in a move started and finished by Waite.
The 23-year-old former Bluebird, signed from Penybont in January, won possession on the edge of the area and found Zimba before following up to prod home when the striker’s shot was saved by Matt Macey.
Substitute Offrande Zanzala almost added a fourth when he was denied by Macey’s fingertips, but Rowberry’s men held on for a morale-boosting victory.
Luton (3-4-1-2): M Macey; R Burke (J Williams, 72), H Lansbury (G Osho, 63), T Lockyer; C Mendes Gomes (E Thorpe, 46), L Berry (H Cornick, 63), L Watson, D Pereira; C Woodrow; C Jerome (C Morris, 63), A Muskwe
Subs not used: H Isted, J Allen, C Pettit, Z Nelson
Scorers: Mendes Gomes 30, Lockyer 50
Newport (3-5-2): J Day; P Farquharson (C Norman, 53), D Drysdale, M Demetriou; Aaron Lewis, J Waite, R Willmott, S Bowen (S Bennett, 63), Adam Lewis; L Collins (O Zanzala, 63), C Zimba (A Wildig, 78)
Booked: Drysdale, Bowen, Willmott, Adam Lewis
Scorers: Collins 36, Zimba 52, Waite 76
Subs not used: M Dolan, O Bogle, W Evans, N Townsend, T Stokes
Referee: O Yates
