A RYAN Bird header was enough for Newport County AFC to beat in-form Accrington Stanley and climb out of the bottom two for the first time in five months.

With just two games of the season remaining the Great Escape is very much on for County, who are now up to 22nd in League Two – two points clear of Hartlepool United.

A fourth 1-0 victory this month and a sixth win in 10 matches under caretaker manager Michael Flynn has put the Exiles in the driving seat ahead of next week’s trip to Carlisle United.

It was a superb response to the Easter Monday hammering at Plymouth Argyle and a huge step towards safety for Flynn’s men.

And it was no less than they deserved on day of high emotion at Rodney Parade.

It started with mixed news on the injury front with David Pipe recovering from a hip flexor problem to start but Scot Bennett ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Darren Jones and Mitch Rose also dropped out and in came Mark O’Brien, Joss Labadie and Bird.

Jones’ demotion to the bench signalled a switch to four at the back and Flynn started with Mark Randall in a deep lying midfield role and Tom Owen-Evans playing just behind front two Bird and Alex Samuel.

County started on the front foot with Randall’s free-kick being fumbled by Stanley stopper Marak Rodak after just 57 seconds.

Bird and Dan Butler also had half chances in the opening stages but failed to test Rodak’s suspect handling further.

The visitors, who arrived at Rodney Parade on the back of a 15-game unbeaten run and with genuine hopes of making the play-offs, took a while to get going in the south Wales sun.

But Joe Day had to be alert to tip a vicious Jordan Clark effort around the post after 13 minutes.

Randall looked to be the Exiles’ best hope of creating a goal but he dwelt on the ball too long at times and his attempted shot from the centre circle was well off target.

As the first half progressed it was Accrington who forged the better opportunities.

Billy Kee played in his strike partner Seamus McCarten, who his half volley was off target.

McCarten went closer moments later when his shot was headed towards his own goal by Labadie, forcing Day into a superb reaction save.

After a scrappy period when Sean Rigg and O’Brien both picked up bookings and the referee appeared to lose control there were two further chances for Accrington before the break.

Defender Omar Beckles was allowed too much time and space in the Exiles area to turn and shoot across goal and in stoppage time midfielder Matty Pearson headed just wide from 12 yards out.

Day was again called upon to keep his side in the game minutes after the restart as he got down well to his right to divert Noor Husin’s drilled effort behind for a corner.

But County steeled themselves and somehow found a way to break the deadlock on the hour.

It was made by a surging run down the left flank from the irrepressible Samuel who beat his man and whipped in a cross that found Randall at the far post.

The midfielder’s shot looped up off the goalkeeper and Bird flew in to head it over the line.

South Wales Argus:

That coupled with news of Barnet’s goals at Hartlepool got Rodney Parade really rocking and the hosts were inspired.

They crunched into tackles and poured forward, urged on by a season-high home turnout for a League Two match.

Samuel so nearly doubled the lead and got the goal his display deserved but his effort, bound for the top corner, was saved spectacularly by Rodak.

But one was all they needed and, after another agonising five minutes of stoppage time, there was a party atmosphere at Rodney Parade as the players left the field to a standing ovation and repeated cries of ‘we are staying up’.

County: Day; Pipe, O’Brien, Demetriou, Butler; Randall (Barnum-Bobb, 85), Labadie, Owen-Evans; Rigg, Bird (Williams, 72), Samuel (Gordon, 90)

Subs not used: Bittner, Jones, Nelson, Myrie-Williams

Booked: Rigg, O’Brien, Owen-Evans

Referee: Mark Heywood

Attendance: 3,719 (74 Accrington)

Argus star man: Day