United had made a reasonable start to the first season after the war, but the new-look forward line hadn't really clicked as yet. Milburn, Bentley, Wayman and Pearson were joined by record signing Len Shackleton with Stobbart stepping down.
Newport had won none of their first six, conceding twenty three goals in the process including seven in their last match.
Although they survived a first minute penalty they still managed to concede seven by half-time and there was no let-up after the break.
Shackleton was credited with six, Wayman four, Milburn two and Bentley one.
Not surprisingly this mis-match is also United's record win in a competitive match, the biggest win ever recorded in the top two divisions, and the equal biggest win in the League.
It was an excellent display, but it is fair to say that Newport - who had hardly played during the war years - were completely disorganised. The Journal summed up the match as follows.
"Taking Saturday's game as seriously as possible, Shackleton produced grand incisiveness, and the inter-change of position in the forward line generally put the play immediately on a higher plane than for some time"
As well as being the club’s record away victory it is also equalled the record top-flight victory set when the Magpies beat Sheffield Wednesday 8-0 at St. James’ in Bobby Robson’s first home game.
The feat was made all the more remarkable by the fact that all the goals were scored by different players. It is also Sheffield United’s record League defeat.
United were in only their second season in the League and were ending the campaign in miserable style; losing seven of their last nine matches. They were especially bad away from home, losing twelve out of fifteen on their travels.
The last game took them to Burton and in front of a crowd of only 3,000 United were comprehensively beaten by a side that would slip out of the League for ever a couple of seasons later. Seven of the nine goals were scored by brothers Arthur and Adrian Capes.
No less than eight of the team never played for the club again. Goalkeeper Ward was one of the three survivors, but he only got one more game.
Newcastle were second in the table and had conceded only thirteen goals in fifteen games. Their home record was won seven, lost one.
The home defeat against Villa persuaded the directors to perform major surgery on the team, replacing half the players. The reshaped eleven returned from the City Ground with a 4-0 victory, but in the next game at home to Sunderland it all went wrong.
The scores were equal at half-time but eight goals in half an hour; including six in only ten minutes made for a sensational scoreline.
It set a League record for a home defeat that was not exceeded until Leicester’s 9-0 win at Southampton in the 2019-20 season. To many it was an inexplicable event; although the Sunderland Echo put it down to the fact that "it was quite evidently due to their being useless".
Ironically, United had, by far, the best defensive record in the League (41 goals) and finished as Champions. Indeed, almost 30% of the total goals they conceded were in the two matches against Sunderland.