Newport County got back on winning ways last night with a vital 1-0 victory away to St Albans City.
Three successive defeats had sent County plummeting towards the bottom of the Nationwide South league but the freefall was halted thanks to a hard-working display.
One man especially glad to claim a clean sheet is County goalkeeper Roger Freestone.
The experienced Freestone has not enjoyed the best of starts to his second stint at Newport, but last night he was back to his imperious best.
Time and time again he came off his line to claim high and low crosses, he marshalled his defence and pulled off one superb stop that prevented the hosts drawing level after Carl Wilson-Denis had opened the scoring.
That lead arrived after only quarter of an hour when Jamie Moralee slipped the ball into Jason Bowen and the winger beat his man and fired over a wicked cross.
On the mark was Wilson-Denis, who had been suffering from a loss of form, and he powered home a header from close range.
At the other end, St Albans goalkeeper Mel Capleton made a hash of a backpass and the ball almost squirmed into the net before he recovered in time to clear.
County struggled to create many chances as their hosts did most of the pressing.
It did not help County's cause when both Scott Morgan and Jamie Moralee limped off inside the first 25 minutes, but Neil Passmore and John Phillips went on and acquitted themselves well and the back four in general were outstanding.
County almost doubled their lead in spectacular fashion when Bowen swung a cross to the back post and Jonathan Coates met it flush on the volley, bringing out a fine save from Capleton.
Five minutes before the break, it was Freestone to the rescue when he managed to throw himself to his left to beat away a Ben Walshe effort that looked goalbound.
In the second half County dug in to stem the St Albans tide, but it did not get as intense as might have been expected as the hosts were pretty inept in the final third of the pitch.
Former Swindon striker Lloyd Opara had a header comfortably saved by Freestone and the same man headed over the bar when the goal looked gaping, but a draw would have been harsh on County who had worked hard for the result.
Acting manager Glyn Jones threw on newcomer Luke Marcus, a former West Bromwich Albion apprentice, in the final ten minutes and County managed to hang on without too much fuss, despite enduring more than five minutes of injury time.
After the final whistle the squad gathered for a team huddle, either in a show of solidarity in times of trouble, or perhaps already planning how to fend off Hornchurch, who visit Newport on Saturday.
St Albans: Capleton, Hooper, Thomas, Marwa, De Souza, Zoricich, Hann (Parkinson 74), Parker (Castle 62), Clarke, Opara, Walshe.
Subs: Riley, Jackman.
Booked: Zoricich (55 foul), Parker (40 hand ball), Castle (83 foul).
Newport County: Freestone, L Phillips, Morgan (Passmore 12), Thomas, D Jones, Williams, Bowen, Aherne-Evans, Moralee (J Phillips 26, Marcus 82), Wilson-Denis, Coates. Subs: O'Sullivan, G Jones.
Booked: L Phillips (67 foul), Thomas (24 obstruction), Aherne-Evans (48 foul), J Phillips (30 obstruction).
Referee: T Ingram (Basingstoke). Attendance: 337.
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