Rose is thorn in County’s side

NEWPORT COUNTY ........ 1 MORECAMBE ................... 1

NEWPORT County’s bid for survival suffered a blow as in-form Morecambe held them to a draw at Rodney Parade in League Two, in a game the Exiles needed to win.

Graham Westley made just one change from the cruel 3-2 defeat at Cambridge, with Aaron Williams replacing Swansea loanee Josh Sheehan, and it proved to be an inspired change with the striker’s first-half tap-in putting County ahead.

But a quickly taken free kick from Morecambe captain Michael Rose in the second half ensured both teams shared the points. The draw leaves the Exiles six points from safety.

The Exiles looked determined in the opening exchanges and Williams thought he had given the hosts an early lead, only for the offside flag to deny Newport a dream start. But that did little to knock County off their stride with Craig Reid testing Barry Roche twice in quick succession.

And it was Reid who played a vital part in the opening goal as his ball out wide set up Ryan Bird, whose miskick fell kindly to Williams at the back post to fire County ahead.

The goal woke Morecambe up, with Ryan Edwards and Alex Whitmore both heading over from corners before Paul Mullin missed a golden opportunity when he failed to hit the target with a close-range overhead kick.

But the hosts managed to keep the Shrimps out and took a 1-0 lead into the break, just as they did in the original fixture back in December before it was abandoned.

Captain Mike Flynn went close to doubling County’s lead in the second half with an excellent piece of skill in the box before firing a shot straight at ’keeper Roche before Luke Conlan’s cross almost caught Joe Day out at the other end, with the shotstopper having to tip the ball over the bar. But the County goalkeeper was left a bit embarrassed just after the hour mark when Rose fired a quick free kick into the corner of Day’s net to level the score while the 26-year-old was still organising his wall.

Bird had a late chance to net a winner for County but Roche showed quick reflexes to deny the hosts all three points.