IT WAS sixth-time lucky for Newport County AFC as they finally beat bogey side Morecambe thanks to two goals from striker Scott Boden.

The first came after just 56 seconds and the second, a superb volley, proved to be the winner on 69 minutes.

Shaun Miller had levelled on the hour but County refused to buckle against a side who had won all five previous encounters.

The three points takes the Exiles seven points clear of the bottom two and put to bed the frustrations from Tuesday night’s 1-0 defeat at Leyton Orient.

Feeney made just one change from that game with Boden replacing the injured Yan Klukowski.

And it paid off immediately as the striker bundled in Mark Byrne’s corner after some shocking defending from the hosts.

But the Shrimps soon sprang into life to hit the woodwork twice in a minute.

Kevin Ellison, so often a thorn in the side for County, was involved in both incidents.

First he miscued a shot that was going out for a throw-in before Darren Jones diverted it onto the crossbar.

From the resultant corner Ellison beat Exiles goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney to the high ball but his header bounced off the top of the bar and behind for a goal kick.

On a cold and blustery day on the Lancashire coast the strong wind made defending set-pieces tricky and Feeney’s men almost doubled their lead from another corner.

Jones rose above the home defence but his header landed on the roof of the net.

And the centre-back was in the thick of the action at the other end as he cleared Jamie Devitt’s shot off the line after Mitchell Beeney had kept out a Tom Barkhuizen effort.

Byrne was bossing the midfield and Conor Wilkinson was a real handful up front for County, holding the ball up well and showing good strength and touch.

But Ellison was also a big danger at the other end and Andrew Hughes did well to dispossess him in the box just as it looked like he might hurt County once again.

The home fans booed their side off at the break but Jim Bentley’s men began the second half brightly.

Beeney saved an Ellison free-kick and a low drive from Barkhuizen.

But he was beaten by a rocket of a shot from Shaun Miller on the hour mark.

The striker played a one-two with Devitt and hammered his shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards out.

It was a cracking goal out of the blue but County responded superbly, refusing to buckle as they have previously at the same venue.

Alex Rodman created the winner with a perfect cross from the right and Boden lost his marker in the middle to create the space before volleying in to the net.

It was a superbly controlled finish – a goal worthy of winning three crucial points and finally putting an end to the Exiles’ Morecambe misery.

Morecambe: Roche; Conlan, Parrish, Dugdale, Beeley; Ellison, Goodall (Mullin, 77), Fleming, Barkhuizen; Devitt, Miller

Subs not used: O’Hara, Edwards, Molyneux, Wilson, Doyle

Booked: Ellison, Conlan

County: Beeney; Davies, Hughes, Jones, Holmes; Elito, Byrne, Rodman; Smalley (Barrow, 73), Wilkinson (Ayina, 85), Boden

Subs not used: Green, Taylor, Ralph, Owen-Evans, Dymond

Booked: Boden

Referee: Mark Brown

Attendance: 1,342 (111 County)

Argus star man: Boden