The Exiles secured their Conference South survival with a comfortable 2-0 win at Milton Road as the hosts slumped to a seventh successive game without a win as their season splutters to a disappointing close.

It could have been so different had the Lilywhites capitalised on their total domination during the opening half an hour but they allowed Newport to score twice in as many minutes, courtesy of goals from Craig Hughes and Gary Fisken and never looked like they could find a way back.

With his options limited by injuries Gary Roberts stuck with the same team who had succumbed to Yeading on Easter Monday. The Welshmen who seemed to have climbed out of trouble thanks to a 3-2 at Histon last Saturday were then surprisingly beaten at home by Thurrock on Monday, leaving their hopes of finishing outside the drop zone in the balance.

City appeared to have shaken off the lethargy that has characterised their recent performances in the opening exchanges, Craig Dobson had already tested Tony Pennock before good work from Dale Binns set up Paul Booth who squared to the former Lewes winger only for Andrew Thomas to scramble off the line.

The same trio combined in City’s next attack, Booth chested Binns’ pass into the feet of Dobson who sent a dipping drive narrowly over the bar. As City continued to boss proceedings Robbie Simpson burst through on the left and his partially cleared centre fell to Binns who flashed a shot across the face of goal.

Dobson was the driving force behind the City attack and his angled pass freed Booth on the right who curved a cross into the feet of Robbie Simpson but John Brough nicked the ball away to safety.

Booth latched onto a Binns corner from the right and sent a low drive just beyond Pennock’s upright. Binns, back on his normal wing, then laid the ball off for Booth who sent a fierce strike into the near post forcing Ian Hillier to sky over his own crossbar.

Having carved out more chances in the opening thirty minutes than in the last three home games put together City then conceded the first time their goal was put under serious threat. To be fair, Craig Pope who had stemmed a quick break down the Newport left, was pushed to the ground, no free kick was awarded and the loose ball fell for Nathan Davies who immediately fed Craig Hughes who fired wide of Danny Naisbitt from twelve yards out.

The Lilywhites stormed straight back at County. Dobson ran at the heart of the Exiles’defence but went to ground under a heavy challenge, Mr Brockwell raised the whistle to his lips but didn’t blow. Jason Bowen strode clear and with most of the City players moving in the opposite direction threaded a pass through to Gary Fisken who produced a quality finish which sailed over the stranded Naisbitt from the edge of the area.

With City all at sea Hughes found Matt Green in space but under pressure from Lee Chaffey he fired wide.

As has been the pattern in recent weeks City started the second period at pace in an attempt to salvage the game but with a critical three points in their sights the well marshalled Newport back line were in no mood to concede and they denied the Lilywhites’ strikers any room to manoeuvre.

Crucially the Welshmen were dominant in midfield and at no stage did City appear to have the capability to change the pattern of the game, despite the introduction of all three substitutes, Stephen Hughes, Danny Blanchett and Ryan Lockett.

Newport produced the only worthwhile goal effort of the half when Fisken, showing all the quality which made him such an influential figure during his loan stay at Milton Road last season, extended Danny Naisbitt with a well executed free kick.

Newport were content to close the game out which they did very successfully and the reaction of both players and supporters at the final whistle was a fair reflection of their work rate and application.

As for City, when the very existence of the club was in the balance, the players kept supporters’ hopes alive with a succession of top class performances, bizarrely, now that the short term future of the club has been secured results on the field have nose-dived. However, there is an early opportunity to end the home fixture programme on a high note with Havant the visitors on Tuesday.