A FREE-KICK from Mickey Demetriou earned Newport County AFC all three points against Yeovil Town as the Exiles moved to within one point of safety in League Two. Here's what we learned...

1. The Great Escape is definitely on

It’s official. The players left the pitch accompanied by the theme from the Great Escape and there is a real sense of belief and conviction throughout the club that what looked impossible only weeks ago is now possible.

‘We are staying up’ sang the fans and the players were once again blasting out Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now from the dressing room – a superstition led by resident DJ Tom Owen-Evans and a message to the Exiles’ relegation rivals.

2. Fans backing the boys

A season-high home crowd for a League Two match of nearly 3,400 proves that Michael Flynn has got the supporters believing once again and there were so many trying to get in that many missed the kick-off as queues reached Corporation Road.

It was a Bank Holiday but there was no reduced ticket offer and the response from the people of Newport must go down as a huge seal of approval for the way the players are fighting for their survival.

3. Demetriou the goal machine

Both Sean Rigg and Mark Randall wanted to take the free-kick but Flynn insisted that Demetriou was the man to hit it and how right he was.

The defender looked out of sorts early on, missing two tackles in the first half, but that was forgotten thanks to his super strike that made him the match-winner in successive home games.

Flynn also suggested that Demetriou will be on penalties from now on. Could he make a late bid for top scorer status?

4. More clean sheets than a launderette

The caretaker boss once again bemoaned the lack of a cutting edge that ensured there was another nervy ending at Rodney Parade with six minutes of stoppage time to endure.

But a third straight clean sheet – for the first time this season – and a fourth in eight games under Flynn means that at the moment one goal is all it takes to give the Exiles a great chance of claiming all three points.

5. Flynn fully focused

There was an understandable sense of relief and a mood of celebration at the end of the match but, while the players hugged and punched the air, the boss had a steely look about him.

Flynn knows that the job is far from done and almost as soon as victory was secured he switched his attention to Monday’s trip to Plymouth Argyle – the next hurdle between County and survival.