NEWPORT County AFC maintained their unbeaten record at Accrington Stanley but they were denied a first League Two win in five weeks by a late leveller in Lancashire.

Frank Nouble’s super strike looked to have won it for County but substitute Mallik Wilks earned the hosts a share of the spoils in the 88th minute.

The Exiles were still missing inspirational captain Joss Labadie but Flynn made two changes from last week’s home draw with Port Vale.

In midfield Scot Bennett replaced Matty Dolan, who was serving a one-game ban, and up front Padraig Amond returned in place of Shawn McCoulsky.

Robbie Willmott, who was man of the match against Vale, picked up where he left off with an enterprising first 45 minutes.

He twice tested Aaron Chapman with long distance efforts but the Accrington goalkeeper was equal to both.

Willmott also looked to slide balls through the defence to pick out the intelligent runs of Amond at every opportunity and he was County’s main creative spark.

South Wales Argus:

Defender Mickey Demetriou (above) also caused the home defence plenty of problems with a series of long throws into the box.

Nouble got on the end of one in the first minute and saw his shot blocked before it could squeeze inside the post.

Ben White also took the opportunity to stride forward confidently from the back whenever he could.

The classy centre-back so nearly put Nouble through on goal with a pass inside the full-back that was reminiscent of the goal he set up for McCoulsky against Walsall earlier this month.

White’s shooting was less spectacular, however, as he blasted the ball high over the bar and out of the ground with his only chance after 36 minutes.

At the other end there were not too many scares for Joe Day before half-time.

Billy Kee saw a shot deflected behind on 15 minutes and Kayden Jackson dragged a shot wide after half an hour.

But there was a big let off for Day when he raced from his goal and brought down Jackson with a rash tackle to the right of his 18-yard box.

Referee Darren Drysdale awarded a free-kick and the County fans held their breath, expecting at least a yellow card, but the Exiles goalkeeper escaped without even a talking to.

County would have been happy enough to go in level at the break, despite creating the better chances in the first half.

And the 183 travelling fans were jumping for joy behind Chapman’s goal three minutes after the restart as Nouble produced a fabulous finish to curl the ball into the top corner from a County corner.

The hosts poured forward and piled on the pressure and they thought they should have had a penalty when Jackson went down under a challenge from White but the referee waved away the appeals.

Day then denied Jordan Clark with his foot after David Pipe had scrambled away a dangerous ball into the box.

Willmott so nearly doubled County’s advantage on the break but his drilled effort was parried onto the post by Chapman before he gathered at the second attempt.

But the action was nearly all at the other end and County were forced into some frantic defending in the closing stages.

Kee headed against the bar from a free-kick as Accrington pushed hard for a leveller.

And the County resistance was finally ended two minutes from time as Wilks lashed the ball through a forest of legs and past Day after a major scramble in the box.

County: Day; White, O’Brien (Owen-Evans, 90) Demetriou; Pipe, Bennett, Tozer, Butler; Willmott; Nouble (Jackson, 87), Amond (Rigg, 75)

Subs not used: Bittner, Reynolds, Jackson, McCoulsky, Quigley

Booked: Tozer

Referee: Darren Drysdale Attendance: 1,371 (183 County)

Argus star man: Demetriou