NEWPORT County AFC’s winless streak stretched to seven League Two games after they paid the price for captain Joss Labadie’s petulance in a 3-2 loss at Oldham Athletic.

The midfielder lashed out at Marcel Hilssner after 14 minutes and while it wasn’t the most violent of acts, referee Christopher Sarginson was left with an easy decision to show red after raised hands by a 30-year-old who should have known better.

Labadie had put his teammates in trouble but they dug deep until a crushing blow with 16 minutes left, Mickey Demetriou’s own goal helping the Latics to do the double over County and win only their third home game of the campaign.

It is a result that sees Michael Flynn’s side drop to third in the table ahead of Tuesday’s home encounter with fourth-placed Carlisle, who are a point back with two games in hand.

It was 4-2 when the sides met at Rodney Parade in December and this encounter at Boundary Park was just as manic.

It was 2-2 at the break with January loan signings Jake Scrimshaw and Luke Gambin scoring either side of strikes by Davis Keillor-Dunn and Bobby Grant.

Gambins superb solo strike after 40 minutes – a contender for the Scott Twine-dominated goal of the season – gave the 10-man Exiles a lifeline.

County held on at 2-2 until 74 minutes when a dangerous cross from the right was diverted into his own net by unlucky centre-back Demetriou.

The Latics missed a penalty and had some late nerves, but took the spoils to leave Labadie with apologising to do in the away changing room.

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Flynn made two changes to his starting line-up from the draw at Cheltenham with Ryan Taylor getting the nod ahead of Padraig Amond up front while Gambin was given a debut in place of Robbie Willmott.

With Matty Dolan sitting in front of a back four rather than at the heart of a defensive three, County got the perfect start when Scrimshaw glanced home a header when Gambin checked back on his left to cross from the right.

Oldham’s Marcel Hilssner was relieved to see just yellow after a late, forceful challenge on David Longe-King.

County did not have a numerical advantage on the pitch and soon lost their advantage on the scoreboard when Tom King flapped at a cross and palmed the ball into the patch of Keillor-Dunn, who fired home.

The dream start turned into a nightmare when Labadie lashed out – he will have three games on the naughty step – and from then on it was always going to be a tough afternoon.

County went from trying to be on the front foot to trying to frustrate their hosts, which they managed until the 29th minute.

Conor McAleny worked a yard inside the box and fired towards the bottom right corner; King got down to it but could only palm the ball into the path of Grant.

Heads could have dropped but Gambin produced a moment of inspiration approaching half-time, receiving the ball from a Taylor knock-down to weave past defenders before curling home left-footed from the edge of the box.

County were level at the break and fortunate to still be in front soon after the resumption with Oldham attackers hindering each other after the ball was in the six-yard box from a King save.

Flynn added fresh legs with a triple change approaching the hour – Ashley Baker, Amond and Tristan Abrahams coming on for Gambin, Scrimshaw and Taylor.

County were working so hard but it was going to be a test of concentration as well as the lungs if they were to leave with something to add to their tally of 40 points.

Alas, they were chasing the game when Nicky Adams put the ball into the corridor of uncertainty and Demetriou delfected the ball into his own net.

Oldham should have put the game to bed after 82 minutes when King – who will be under pressure from Nick Townsend after a poor display – brought down McAleny only for Dylan Bahamboula to fire over the bar.

However, County were unable to scramble a late leveller as their promotion push continues to splutter.

Oldham: Bilboe, Clarke, Borthwick-Jackson, Jombati, Garrity, Keillor-Dunn, Grant, McAleny, Hilssner, Adams (captain), Bahamboula.
Substitutes: Lawlor, Piergianni, Jameson, Badan, Hamer, Ntambwe, Barnes.
Goals: Keillor-Dunn, Grant, Demetriou (OG)

County: King, Longe-King, Dolan, Demetriou, Shephard (Collins 79), Haynes (Willmott 79), Bennett, Labadie (captain), Gambin (Baker 56), Taylor (Amond 56), Scrimshaw (Abrahams 56).
Substitutes: Townsend, Evans.
Goals: Scrimshaw, Gambin

Referee: Christopher Sarginson