NEWPORT County AFC slumped to defeat against relegated Chesterfield last night following a lacklustre second-half performance at the Proact Stadium.

The Exiles bossed the first 45 minutes without finding the net and were made to pay after the restart as Kristian Dennis’ header gave the Spireites all three points.

Teenage gloveman Aaron Ramsdale had an inspired night in the home goal and denied County, particularly, Josh Sheehan on a number of occasions.

Newport have one game left this season, away to Carlisle United on Saturday, and they certainly won’t want to end the campaign like they did in Derbyshire.

County chief Michael Flynn was unable to name the same starting XI for the third match running with Mark O’Brien and Ben Tozer missing out.

That meant a place in the side for loanees Tyler Reid, at right-back, and Aaron Collins, who played in front of the former in a five-man midfield.

There was a member of last term’s great escape squad in the Chesterfield line-up in the shape of Sid Nelson.

The Exiles bossed a fairly uneventful opening to proceedings, with Frank Nouble enjoying plenty of success down the left.

County’s first effort on target actually came from the other side of the pitch, as Reid cut the ball back to Sheehan and he saw his shot turned away for a corner by home keeper Ramsdale.

The Spireites stopper was called into action again on 25 minutes, and it was Sheehan once more who tested him.

It was then Collins’ turn to test Ramsdale, with the County man twisting on the edge of the box before firing a stinging left-footer the keeper batted away.

The Sheehan-Ramsdale battle continued as the first period wore on, the latter denying Sheehan on the half-four mark.

At the other end, Chesterfield finally managed to create an opening but Ben White was well-placed to block Andy Kellett’s attempt.

It seemed only a matter of time until County made the breakthrough, and they would have done but for Nelson.

A chip over the top found Padraig Amond, he took the ball around Ramsdale and sent an effort towards goal from an acute angle.

Nelson got back to clear the ball off the line but his heroics came at a cost, with his last-ditch lunge resulting in an injury that saw him leave the field.

Spireites caretaker manager Ian Evatt didn’t wait long to use his two remaining substitutes, making a double change at the break to try and inject some life into his troops.

The second half began with White picking up a caution for a blatant trip to halt a Chesterfield attack, and then replacement Jacob Brown fired just wide with Joe Day at full stretch.

The Chesterfield changes did give them more of a threat going forward – and it was they who made the breakthrough with 20 minutes left.

Louis Dodds found space on the right to send over a cross that Dennis headed past Day, who could do nothing to stop it.

County broke straight from the restart and Amond had a great opportunity to level immediately but his shot lacked power and Ramsdale gathered.

Day then kept out a Dodds volley from close range, before Dodds and scorer Dennis were denied by the County keeper in quick succession following a surging run by Jerome Binnom-Williams.

Day almost rescued a point for his side when, deep into stoppage time, he got his head to a corner but couldn’t direct it at the target.

Chesterfield: Ramsdale, Maguire, Talbot (capt), Nelson (Whitmore 42), Barry, Dennis, Dodds, Kellett (Brown 45), Reed, Binnom-Williams, Smith (Weir 45). Subs not used: Anyon, Rowley, Holmes, McCourt.

Booked: None

County: Day, Reid, Butler, White, Demetriou, Dolan (capt), Willmott, Sheehan (Jahraldo-Martin 75), Nouble (Hayes 83), Amond, Collins (Jackson 61). Subs not used: Bittner, Pipe, Foulston, Touray.

Booked: White

Referee: Gavin Ward

Attendance: 4,608 (including 79 County fans)

Argus star man: Josh Sheehan