SCOTT McDonald's late strike prevented Saints' 4-0 win at Newport becoming strictly B-Movie material.

The Aussie pocket-poacher netted Saints' fourth goal, adding to a first-half brace from James Beattie and a goal from Imants Bleidelis.

It was another night when other factors were more important than the scoreline.

Matt Le Tissier came through a stiff 90-minute work-out, Dan Petrescu had just under an hour to restock his reservoir of fitness and Matthew Oakley's knee also safely survived a half.

Add in a couple of morale-boosting goals for Beattie, a clean sheet and a good physical work-out from a robust Newport side who were determined not be overawed, and you can understand why Denis Rofe and new Reserve team manager Steve Wigley were happy men.

Like water to a drought-parched man, goals against any opposition are good ones for a striker who has struggled to find the net.

Beattie's were the sort of poacher's close-range knock-ins that he and Saints probably didn't score their share of last season.

On 11 minutes, Beattie reacted first after Newport keeper Colin Matthew found Le Tissier's 25-yard shot too hot to hold and rapped in the loose ball from six yards out.

Beattie was at it again 13 minutes later, this time finishing off after Le Tissier's 30-yard free-kick had struck the post.

The new-look blonde striker turned provider on the stroke of half-time, getting the better of John Price in what was always a physical battle between two bruiser to lay a perfect pass into the path of Bleidelis who clipped his shot over diving keeper Matthew.

If a crowd of just over 1,500 turned up to see Le Tissier unwrap his box of delights, they weren't disappointed.

He instigated one lightning break from deep inside his path by pulling the ball down and, as it sat up, impudently dinking it into the stride of Kevin Gibbens who found the fast-breaking Petrescu. He cut inside before driving over.

The Saints coaches would have seen other positive things, even taking into account the standard of the opposition.

Ryan Ashford looked assured and calm at left-back, Paul Murray again buzzed busily in midfield, as did Kevin Gibbens who displayed a trencherman's appetite for work.

Tahar El-Khalej saw off Guy Whittingham and then stood up manfully to the sheer physical presence of Danny Gibbons and Sam Carter caught the eye with a couple of lightning bursts down the right after coming on as sub.

Icing the cake was McDonald's goal. Adrian Caceres was played in and his thumping angled shot was well-parried by Matthew. But, as the ball ballooned into the air, McDonald was the Johnnie-on-the-spot to nod home.

A simple goal; a poacher's goal on a night when Saints did all the simple things right - and that's not a bad exercise.