NEWPORT County AFC paid the price for missing some key chances and conceding a stunning goal as they were beaten on the road by Mansfield Town.

The Exiles might have taken a point from Field Mill and looked good value for the parity they had earned at half time, but were undone by a failure to convert a brilliant chance to get back into things at 1-1, missing the outstanding chance of the contest and falling 2-0 down within 60 seconds.

The Exiles are looking stronger and stronger, in terms at least, of the personnel the manager is able to call upon for a match day squad, even though it proved to be in vain on a bitter afternoon in Nottinghamshire.

John Sheridan signed two players in midweek, striker Zak Ansah and midfielder Scot Bennett and both were featured from the start at Field Mill as Sheridan shuffled the pack and the system.

He deployed Bennett in tandem with skipper Mark Byrne with Yan Klukowski given license to roam with Medy Elito providing the width for Lenell John-Lewis and Ansah.

However, if this was a horses’ for courses selection with the Stags in rude health – scoring four last time out - Newport paid the price for setting up more conservatively in a first period where the hosts looked by far the more likely side to break the deadlock.

They were especially strong down the left with Malvind Benning impressive and marauding forward, a situation compounded when Danny Holmes had to leave the field injured, midway through the first half.

The hosts had an extra midfielder and made it count, former Exile Adam Chapman – looking lean and mean by the way – pulling the strings as County fans know he can, one 30-yard pass on the turn especially eye-catching and causing panic in the Exiles’ ranks.

In fairness, it was virtually half time before the Stags really looked like they might score, Benning’s splendid cross dropping an inch or two over the head of Byrne and perfectly for striker Matt Green, but his header was superbly saved by Joe Day.

It is some seven-years since a teenage Green was strutting his stuff at Spytty Park, the striker eventually sold to Dave Jones’ Cardiff City for £20,000.

Green also saw a shot brilliantly blocked by Janoi Donacien in a first period where the Stags were full of huff and puff, but never looked like they’d blow County’s parity down.

Day made two further saves from range, but defensively the Exiles were vastly improved on what we’ve seen so far this term, even threatening on occasion on the break, particularly through the pace of Zak Ansah, who twice forced ex-Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen into comfortable saves.

The Exiles will have been content to be level at the break and looking impressive in defence, but that all amounted to nothing on 50 minutes when the Stags ripped them apart and took the lead.

The goal came from the left again, Benning the architect, as his shaped ball was lofted delightfully by Jake Thomas into the path of Craig Westcarr who was able to smash home from close range, leaving Day no chance.

It was harsh on County’s goalkeeper who was back in the thick of the action no sooner had he pulled the ball out of the back of the net, producing two stunning saves in 60 seconds to deny Green’s deflected shot on the turn and a powerful header from Ryan Tafazolli from the resultant corner.

It was a bitter blow for Sheridan’s men to be trailing and under the cosh, but they introduced attacking changes midway through the half and should have found an instant reward.

Sub Alex Rodman went clean through not 60 seconds after his introduction, but paid the price for a heavy touch that allowed veteran goalkeeper Brian Jensen to smother at his feet, County squandering the most clear-cut chance of the entire contest.

You worried from a County perspective that the miss would prove to be vital, and those fears were borne out two minutes later when the Stags scored an unstoppable second, Thomas teeing up Benning who almost ripped a hole in the net with an unstoppable volley from 25-yards. A better goal you’ll do well to see all season, especially in League Two.

It was harsh on Newport, especially as they continued to fashion chances and then squander them, Jensen saving with his legs from Ansah’s weak shot that took a big deflection.

Credit goes to the Exiles for not throwing in the towel, they kept pushing and Jensen got a big stroke of luck when he could only parry a firm Ansah drive, the ball incredibly spinning away from Scott Boden, more by luck than by design.

And that was all she wrote for County, who conceded a third deep in injury time when sub Adi Yussuf fired home on the turn.

Newport (4-3-3): Day; Holmes (Twumasi 26), Barrow, Donacien, M Taylor; Byrne, Bennett, Klukowski (Rodman 65); Elito, Ansah, John-Lewis (Boden 65)

Subs not used: R Taylor, Blackwood, Partridge, Parselle,

Booked: Klukowski

Mansfield (4-4-1-1): Jensen; Hunt, Benning, Pearce, Tafazolli; McGuire, Chapman, Lambe (Rose 76), Westcarr; Thomas (Clements 84); Green (Yussuf 87)

Subs not used: Shearer, Collins, Thomas, Blair

Booked: None

Referee: Steve Martin

Attendance: 3278 (119 away)

Argus star man: Malvind Benning