THE greatest comeback since Lazarus? Saturday’s extraordinary match at the Gateshead International Stadium certainly felt like a rebirth for Newport County.

If this is what a ‘Justin Edinburgh team’ looks like then the future looks bright.

The Exiles boss has talked for months about the strength of character needed to survive in the Blue Square Bet Premier, and we finally saw that on the pitch in a frantic five minutes of injury time against a shellshocked Gateshead.

Young striker Jake Harris was once again the hero, coming off the bench for a second successive match to score the winning goal.

But as remarkable as his 94th- minute strike was, this was a stunning team effort from the men in amber.

The game looked dead and buried as the hosts took a 2-0 lead just after the break when top scorer Jon Shaw added to Liam Hatch’s opener in first- half stoppage time.

Elliott Buchanan, once again flourishing in his favoured position up front, gave the visitors hope just before the hour mark but as time ticked by it seemed this would be a familiar story of gallant defeat.

That was until Sam Foley was tripped in the penalty area in the 89th minute and saw his penalty saved by Tim Deasy before slamming home the rebound.

Most sides would have settled for a point but there was yet more drama to come.

First Gateshead had Jamie Chandler shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident and then supersub Harris fired into the bottom corner of the net from 20 yards with barely a minute left on the clock.

As a stunned silence fell over most of the ground the 51 travelling fans from Newport went mad and the five-hour return journey will no doubt have passed in a haze of incredulity.

The County faithful have grown accustomed to other sides doing this sort of thing to their heroes, not the other way round.

It’s been a very long time since a County team has shown such spirit, such belief, and it can only have a major positive effect in the fight against relegation.

New boys Andy Sandell and Lee Minshull have certainly added a bit of steel to the midfield, with Minshull in particular living up to his nickname of the Tank with a barnstorming performance.

Nat Jarvis had a quiet game and was replaced after 55 minutes by debutant Adam Chapman, who joined on loan from Oxford United on Friday.

He too made a positive impact, and with Buchanan seemingly back in goal-scoring form, Harris on a hot streak, Ryan Charles ready to return from suspension and more signings on the way the positive signs are stacking up.

It should be said that County did show a few familiar failings as well on Saturday, with both Gateshead goals the result of poor marking.

The first came right at the end of the first half as Andrew Hughes denied former teammate Yemi Odubade a scoring opportunity by hacking behind.

Somehow Shaw was allowed a free-header from the corner. Hughes did well to head it off the line but his clearance went straight to Hatch, who found the bottom corner with an expertly directed header of his own.

The much-maligned Odubade was again involved in the second on 53 minutes as he stumbled through a few half-hearted challenges and found Shaw in plenty of space.

The striker steadied himself, and with no challenge in sight, took aim and fired past Glyn Thompson from just outside the area.

As Edinburgh said, his side could have felt sorry for themselves and crumbled but thrillingly they refused to buckle.

Buchanan’s quick response to Shaw’s goal on 57 minutes was crucial.

The goal was made by a fantastically assured piece of play from David Pipe, who burst down the right flank and waited for the right moment to pick out Buchanan’s late run.

The former Hayes & Yeading striker has struggled playing out wide but the evidence says if you play him through the middle he’ll score goals and the finish was never in doubt as he hooked home from inside the box.

The penalty looked to be a soft one but County fans thinking back to games at Kettering and Grimsby and countless other disappointments this season won’t care about that.

And the winner from Harris was sublime, lifting his side from 23rd to 21st in the table.

Still in the bottom four, then, and two points from safety, but with at least two games in hand over Kettering, Stockport, Telford and Darlington, hope springs eternal. Lazarus lives.

Gateshead: Deasy, Rents (Odhiambo, 81), Curtis, Clark, Brittain (Cummins, 63), Turnball, Shaw, Odubade, Baxter, Hatch, Chandler.

Subs not used: Cummins, Moore, Airey, Wilson.

Booked: Hatch, Curtis.

Sent off: Chandler.

County: Thompson, Baker (Harris, 73), Hughes, Warren, Rodgers, Pipe (Knights, 82), Minshull, Foley, Sandell, Jarvis (Chapman, 55), Buchanan.

Subs not used: Hatswell, Swann.

Booked: Warren.

Attendance: 704 (51 County).