NEWPORT County AFC ended their six-game winless run in League Two with a 1-0 victory over play-off contenders Swindon Town at the County Ground.

Ben Tozer was the unlikely hero as he returned to the club where he began his career to head home the winner 14 minutes from time.

The three points lift Michael Flynn’s men to ninth in the table – two points off the top-seven after 20 games.

It was a textbook away performance from the Exiles, who had to cope with plenty of adversity.

Flynn made three changes from the defeat to Barnet with Dan Butler, Joss Labadie and Shawn McCoulsky replacing Mark O’Brien, Robbie Willmott and Padraig Amond.

Scot Bennet dropped back into the three-man defence to replace O’Brien but he too picked up an injury and was forced off after 33 minutes.

That prompted another reshuffle as Tozer had to plug the gap in central defence and Sean Rigg came on in midfield.

Swindon were also hit by a raft of injuries and the first half saw both sides cancel each other out in a cagey encounter.

Neither goalkeeper was seriously tested in the opening 45 minutes but both sides had their moments.

Paul Mullin and Keshi Anderson combined well for the hosts but the former twice and the latter once failed to hit the target when they had a sight of goal.

At the other end McCoulsky almost converted a Matty Dolan corner at the far post and Labadie lobbed over the bar from 25 yards.

The County players appealed for a penalty when another McCoulsky shot appeared to hit a Swindon hand in the box but the referee was not interested.

Ben White then created an opportunity with a brilliant sidestep and tempting ball into the box that beat McCoulsky before Frank Nouble flicked a shot over the top.

Dan Butler also went close with a cross-shot that just evaded Nouble and rolled past the outside of the post.

Anderson curled another shot well over the top of Joe Day’s bar in the first minute of the second half before Nouble and Labadie both had shots blocked in the Robins’ penalty area.

Dolan then wasted a decent free-kick, blasting his shot into the wall as the match stubbornly refused to catch fire.

Labadie saw a vicious half volley deflected just wide, while the hosts kept fashioning dangerous openings that broke down due to a poor final ball.

As the match entered the final 20 minutes the Robins’ fans made their frustrations clear and a certain amount of tension crept in around the ground.

That was exacerbated as David Pipe picked out McCoulsky in the area.

The striker’s shot was saved comfortably but the Exiles started to believe they could nick a winner.

Mickey Demetriou saw a header deflected behind as County won a series of corners.

And the goal duly arrived from one such set-piece as Dolan swung the ball in from the left and Tozer headed home from eight yards out.

After letting leads slip in their last three matches, against Port Vale, Accrington Stanley and Barnet, there were some understandable nerves in the packed away end.

But, despite Matt Preston hitting the bar in time added on, this time County saw the game out to claim a morale-boosting victory.

County: Day; White, Bennett (Rigg, 33), Demetriou; Pipe, Dolan, Tozer, Butler; Labadie (Owen-Evans, 89); Nouble, McCoulsky (Amond, 83) Subs not used: Bittner, Foulston, Reynolds, Touray

Booked: Labadie, Nouble

Referee: James Linington

Attendance: 6,764

Argus star man: Tozer