Newport County's amazing away form continued on Saturday as they travelled to Cambridge and left with three points after a 2-0 win.

The result was even more remarkable considering they had to play for almost an hour with only ten men, after midfielder Gareth Phillips was controversially sent off for comments allegedly made to a City player.

Until Phillips' sending off, the match had started fairly low key, with County creating the better chances.

Gary Shephard made space for himself and fired a shot which stung the palms of Cambridge City 'keeper Martin Davies, who could only parry, but he managed to get down at the feet of Allan Stevenson and block the rebound.

City were attacking sporadically, and Carl Williams had an attempt saved comfortably by Duncan Roberts.

Williams ' next involvement came in the game's major talking-point.

The City midfielder and County's Gareth Phillips got involved in a tussle near the touchline, and after a discussion with the linesman, referee Peter Stanton sent Phillips off for allegedly making a comment to a Cambridge player.

The game threatened to boil over, and Cambridge pushed for an opening against the ten men, but they held on until half-time, thanks to 'keeper Roberts making another decent stop to his right.

The second half saw County re-shuffle, but they were still battling hard and pressing the home side back, with the immense Shephard dropping into midfield.

A trio of vicious Gary Lloyd corner kicks led to the Exiles' opener, and from the third in a row, Shephard rose to head the ball into the net on 52 minutes.

Cambridge responded by putting Newport under some severe pressure, but the backline were holding out and Roberts was in fine form and made a string of vital saves. The pick of the bunch came when he somehow managed to get his hand to a Williams effort that looked destined for the top corner.

County thought they had doubled their lead soon after, when Lloyd put John Phillips clear, and he rounded the keeper, but the flag was up for offside.

They had a major let-off with five minutes remaining, as both City's Riddle and Simpson contrived to miss from well inside the six-yard box.

But County sealed the deserved win in the dying minutes, when Sam O'Sullivan fed Allan Stevenson, who stroked the ball in off the post.

Newport County: Roberts, Evans, Lloyd (c), Stevenson, Eckhardt, Morgan, Williams, Michael (Jones 79), J Phillips (A Williams 65), Shephard (O'Sullivan 88), G Phillips. Booked: Williams 44 (foul), Shephard 81 (charging down free kick). Sent off: G Phillips (foul and abusive language). Attendance: 494.