Scott Lindsey on Newport drubbing: I apologise to everyone connected to MK Dons

Scott Lindsey took the blame and apologised to MK Dons fans as his promotion-chasing side suffered a shock 6-3 thumping at struggling Newport.

Bryn Morris and Bobby Kamwa both scored hat-tricks as County ended an eight-game winless streak in style against a side who had won six of their last seven in Sky Bet League Two.

Morris opened the scoring with a long-range rocket in the 12th minute before slotting in his second four minutes later after Tom McGill had denied Luke Jephcott.

Kamwa made it 3-0 midway through the first half with a cool finish after being teed up by Jephcott, and Morris completed the first hat-trick of his career with a confidently-struck penalty in the 36th minute after Luke Offord had handled in the box.

Offord pulled one back before the break, but Kamwa made it 5-1 two minutes after the interval.

And he completed his treble nine minutes from time after Joe White and Offord’s second had given the Dons faint hope.

“I apologise to everyone connected to MK Dons,” said Lindsey, whose side drop to ninth. “To all the fans that made the journey, I apologise because that performance was not acceptable.

“It’s not how we play. We didn’t look like us at all, apart from the first 10 minutes.

“We capitulated and we looked nervous, like we didn’t want to play. That gives them probably (an extra) 20 per cent in their game. We gave them that momentum.

“At half-time I still thought we could get something from the game because I know we’ve got goals in us – and they can be leaky in defence,” he added.

“I believed, even at 4-1. But we come back out and after two minutes it’s 5-1.

“I’ll take responsibility; it’s my team, my tactics, my training methods, my fault.”

It was an emotional afternoon for the Exiles’ Portuguese head coach Nelson Jardim, who was reunited with his wife and children before the game.

“The players and the fans were fantastic,” said Jardim, whose side climb to 16th in the table.

“But I’d like to dedicate this win to my wife and my two kids, who were here.

“It’s tough on my wife dealing with the children in Portugal while I’m working here, so I want to dedicate the win to them.

“I want the fans to enjoy coming to Rodney Parade and make them proud of their club and their city and wins like this are what everyone wants to see.

“We are still growing and trying to find our way. I hope there is more like this to come, but we have to keep our feet on the ground and try to keep improving.”