WYCOMBE 0 COUNTY 1

LONDON buses, Newport County away wins and Mike Flynn goals.

That’s the new equation at Newport as they romped to a second successive away triumph in the Football League after a fruitless August, September, October and November on the road in League Two.

And it was that man Flynn again who set them on their way, firing home his third goal for the Exiles in about 35 minutes of football after waiting 25 months to find the target in the Football League.

Newport will now enter the busy festive period in significantly good heart, having impressed in all aspects of their play at a bitterly cold Adams Park.

Manager Edinburgh’s bold claim that his squad depth was going to considerably improve over the Christmas period appears to be on target, with the Exiles in the rare position of naming seven substitutes, though they are still without a back-up goalkeeper.

Arguably their two most consistent performers of the campaign, Ismail Yakubu and Tom Naylor, were unable to get back into the starting XI following injuries as Andy Sandell kept his place in the centre of defence on his return to his former club.

With both teams in good heart having both won convincingly away in their last games, it was no surprise that both started brightly.

Newport were incredibly sharp in the opening exchanges, Adam Chapman in particularly catching the eye with a repertoire of passing that frankly has no place in League Two and would’ve graced the Championship.

He and Mike Flynn pulled the strings and the Exiles created a couple of half chances, fine last-ditch defending by the highly-rated Kortney Hause denying both Conor Washington and Flynn shooting opportunities.

The hosts seemed somewhat rigid with their 4-4-2 formation but made inroads through Newport mistakes, a lapse from Sandell allowing Dean Morgan a shooting chance, but Lenny Pidgeley shovelled the ball away and gathered at the second attempt.

However, Newport were the ones who were so close to taking the lead, Robbie Willmott’s corner bouncing all the way out to Christian Jolley who fired back superbly, his lofted effort clipped the underside of the crossbar and agonizingly bounced clear.

However, if Jolley’s wait for a goal would continue, Newport’s wouldn’t, because moments later they scored a superb opener.

Chapman was once again the architect, his killer through ball over the top controlled superbly by the onrushing Flynn who lofted the ball sublimely over Matt Ingram, Flynn’s third goal in the last two games after a wait since November 2011 when he last bagged in the Football League,  scoring for Bradford City.

It was no less than County deserved for their bright start and they probably also deserved the reprieve they received when Chapman inadvertently put Jo Kuffour clear, his dink over Pidgeley goalbound until a brilliant clearance from David Pipe.

Newport’s counter-attacking football was frenetic and Jolley almost doubled the advantage just before the interval. He was afforded far too much time and space down the right and cut inside, but Anthony Stewart headed clear with Matt Ingram beaten all ends up.

If anything the Exiles might have felt a little deflated at the interval to ‘only’ lead by a goal, especially as the hosts only really threatened when on the receiving end of Newport self-harming.

A perfect example arrived on the hour when a sloppy ball by Deji Oshilaja took him, Harry Worley and Sandell out of the equation in one foul swoop, Matt McClure raced through but was denied by a magnificent last-ditch sliding tackle by Ryan Jackson.

The hosts were game but also a little desperate in their attacking play, no surprise as they’ve failed to record a win at Adams Park since October 12.

Newport definitely failed to match their performance levels in the first period but did look a menace on the counter, an electric Jolley run forcing Ingram to save at his near post.

Edinburgh sent for Danny Crow and Tom Naylor to protect what he had, but Naylor’s first touch was a controlled volley that brushed just past the post.

A two-goal cushion wouldn’t have flattered the Exiles but they had a couple of scary moments, Pidgeley holding a Stuart Lewis long-range effort as the Amber Army drowned out the home faithful.

In the final seconds Wycombe blazed over from a corner that saw all 22 men in the penalty area, the final shot in anger as Newport deservedly held firm.

Wycombe (4-4-2): Ingram, McCoy, Wood, Hause, Stewart, Arnold, Bloomfield, Lewis, Kretzschmar (Knott 65), Morgan (McClure 43), Kuffour (Cowan-Hall 73)

Subs not used: Horlock, Scowen, Johnson, Doherty

Booked:

County (5-3-2): Pidgeley, Pipe, Jackson, Worley, Oshilaja, Sandell, Flynn, Chapman, Willmott (Naylor 77), Washington (Crow 72), Jolley (Burge 87)

Subs not used: James, Yakubu, Minshull, Barker

Booked: Jackson

Attendance: 3513 (423 away)

Referee: Mr Ian Williamson

Argus star man: Adam Chapman