DOM Telford may have grabbed the headlines for heading home a stoppage time winner, but Newport County boss James Rowberry was full of praise for all his players after their 2-1 win at Hartlepool’s Victoria Park.

A 5,000-plus crowd roared on both sides from start to finish on a dramatic night of end to end action, but it was a simple tap-in from the newly crowned League Two player of the month, Telford, that made it a hat-trick of wins for Rowberry to briefly move his team up to fifth place in the table.

“A pat on the back is six inches away from a smack on the backside. I’m not going to get carried away with the fact we’re up to fifth,” said Rowberry.

“We were excellent in the first half, taking the ball and trying to build. We didn’t do that well enough in the first 10 minutes of the second half and we didn’t pass the ball like we did in the first half.

“That’s something we need to work on, but take nothing away from the team, they were incredible and so were the supporters who travelled to watch them. I’m sure the fans would have been proud of that performance.

“It was very dramatic and I’m really pleased with the performance. People say there is nothing better than an injury-time winner, but I’m just happy to get the result and the three points.”

Given Hartlepool had won six and drawn one of their seven home matches this season, it was always going to take a huge effort to wrestle their proud unbeaten tag away from them.

Having been good value for their 1-0 first-half lead, courtesy of a bullet header by Courtney Baker-Richardson.

Hartlepool levelled and the game went right to the wire. County lacked the same composure under immense pressure in the early parts of the second half.

Hartlepool came roaring back into the contest with a superb free kick by David Ferguson in the 63rd minute and the game hung in the balance right until the death.

“We had meetings before we left and on the morning of the match and I told the players it was important that we continue our processes, but don’t take that away from the fact we want to be winners,” added Rowberry.

“It’s important to try to get the processes right, the performance right, but also that we try to win.

"I want them to be winners in everything we do all over the pitch. We showed our courage and character through a little bit of adversity when they got their goal.

“That was one of the most pleasing things for me and it was great to see the man of the moment Dom Telford get the winner.

"He will get all the plaudits because he scored the vital goal, but I thought Finn Azaz was excellent.

“Ed Upson had been out for a while, but he was very good and I left Jake Cain out of the team just to give him a bit of a rest, but he came on and passed the ball really well.

"Both wings backs, our three centre-halves and our goalkeeper were good, so was Oli Cooper.

“Courtney Baker-Richardson not only got a goal but worked his socks off.

"We talked about our wing backs getting in the box and Cameron Norman did that and so did Kevin Ellison when he came on.

"I asked Kev to do three different jobs for me on Tuesday night.

"He is an unbelievable character and is an example to all the young lads in the way he applies himself every day at the age of 42. I have nothing but admiration for what he does.”