HAT-TRICK hero Aaron O’Connor sealed a vital three points for Newport County at play-off rivals Bury with an injury-time strike.

Justin Edinburgh’s men were 2-0 up at half-time and in control but they had to survive a second half fightback from the hosts following Danny Rose’s strike on 61 minutes before O’Connor completed his hat-trick in injury time.

The striker’s first came after just three minutes as Lee Minshull won the ball with a robust challenge and it broke perfectly for the striker.

He raced onto it in a flash and coolly slotted the ball past home goalkeeper Scott Loach and into the bottom corner in front of the travelling fans.

The second, just two minutes before the break, was a result of a defensive mix-up by the Shakers.

Loach and centre-back Nathan Cameron were trying desperately to prevent a corner but ended up presenting O’Connor with the ball and he duly fired into an empty net.

The win lifts County to eighth in the table, two points behind Bury in the final play-off place in

Exiles boss Edinburgh said: "I thought it was a real excellent away performance. From start to finish I thought we were excellent and worthy of the win.

"It was an excellent three points against a very good team. We came here with a game plan and the players approached it very well.

"We had to weather the storm and put our bodies on the line but this group of players do that for one another."

Bury manager David Flitcroft told BBC Radio Manchester: "When you get beaten you've got to try and draw out of it that the next time you go out to play you've got to have a plan and know how to win that next game.

"I know why we were beaten and I understand why we were beaten.

"The first half performance wasn't acceptable."