NEWPORT County AFC remain rooted to the bottom of League Two after another frustrating night at Rodney Parade.

The Exiles played some good football in the first half on a surface that was covered in sand but individual errors at the back allowed Graham Westley’s former side Stevenage to take charge.

And they comfortably held on in the second half to take all three points and deny County a chance to climb out of the bottom two.

Darren Jones, recalled after suspension in favour of Ivory Coast international Abdoulaye Meite, deflected a Tom Pett effort beyond Joe Day and into his own net after just nine minutes.

And Pett, who tormented Warren Feeney’s County side back in April, doubled the visitors’ advantage six minutes before the break after an almighty scramble on the line.

Day just about kept out Steve Schumacher’s long range effort but he scooped up the rebound and Harry McKirdy looked certain to score.

He was denied by a brilliant reflex save by Day and it looked as if County would clear several times but Pett eventually got the better of Jones on the line and he bundled in the killer second.

In between those goals the likes of Jack Jebb, Josh Sheehan, Jazzi Barnum-Bobb and Rhys Healey impressed with some neat link up play and County came close to scoring on a number of occasions.

Captain Scot Bennett headed inches wide from a Barnum-Bobb cross moments after they fell behind.

Barnum-Bobb then found Jennison Myrie-Williams at the far post and the winger cut inside before curling a shot just wide from the edge of the area.

The irrepressible Barnum-Bobb released birthday boy Healey down the right flank and the striker cut inside his man brilliantly but his cross was deflected off course.

Jones almost made amends for his own goal with a stinging effort at the other end following Sheehan’s neat through ball and a Barnum-Bobb back-heel.

But there was a warning that Stevenage had more in their locker as Harry McKirdy was given far too much space in the Exiles box and Day had to make a fine save with his legs before Paul Bignot got back to clear the danger.

And the slapstick second goal sapped some of the life out of the home side.

Westley attempted to shake things up for the second half with Tom Owen-Evans and Marlon Jackson replacing Jebb and Dan Butler.

Jackson almost made an instant impact but his volley after a knock down by Healey was off target.

Myrie-Williams was not having the best of nights but he produced one moment of class as he whipped in a perfect cross from the left that Healey somehow failed to convert from a yard out.

But as County pushed forward they left gaps at the back.

Schumacher’s free-kick was headed back across goal by Luke Wilkinson in a neatly worked set-piece and McKirdy was close to converting a diving header.

The youngster on loan from Aston Villa looks a real talent and he nearly had the goal he deserved when Bennett was dispossessed and he hooked a shot goalwards from six yards out only to be denied by another superb save from Day.

Bennett escaped with a booking after mistiming a tackle and scything down Ben Kennedy and Jones headed over on another foray forward.

Joss Labadie returned from injury as a replacement for Ben Tozer and he skied a shot from the rebound after Myrie-Williams fired a free-kick into the wall.

But as the visitors ran down the clock they never looked in any danger of giving up their lead.

And for County thoughts of a potential FA Cup trip to Liverpool have to take a back seat with another crunch league clash with Morecambe on home turf this Saturday.

County: Day, Bignot, Jones, Bennett, Butler (Jackson, 46), Barnum-Bobb, Tozer (Labadie, 72), Sheehan, Jebb (Owen-Evans, 46), Myrie-Williams, Healey

Subs not used: Bittner, Randall, Green, Meite

Referee: Kevin Johnson

Booked: Bennett

Attendance: 1,877 (52 Stevenage)

Argus star man: Barnum-Bobb