NEWPORT County AFC’s hopes of moving to the top of League Two and extending their 100% home record went up in smoke as they were crushed 6-0 by Yeovil Town at Rodney Parade.

The Exiles, who started the day second on goal difference behind leaders Lincoln City, endured a torrid afternoon that also saw them reduced to 10 men late on.

County chief Michael Flynn had made eight changes for Tuesday’s Checkatrade Trophy defeat Swindon Town.

And it was all change again for the visit of Darren Way’s eighth-placed Glovers, with Flynn pretty much reverting to the same starting XI which beat Oldham Athletic seven days earlier.

The one change saw Mark Harris return from a concussion to replace Jamille Matt, who dropped to the bench.

There were two familiar faces in the Yeovil line-up in former County skipper Gary Warren, who was facing his old club for the first time since leaving in 2012, and ex-loan player Jordan Green.

It was a bit of a shaky start from the hosts as on more than one occasion in the opening stages there were poor clearances that Yeovil might have made more of.

The game became a bit fragmented after that with Omar Sowunmi making the most of a slight high challenge from Harris.

Then Josh Sheehan was booked by referee Peter Wright for bringing down Sessi D’Almeida when a breakaway looked on.

The lush Rodney Parade playing surface caused several players to lose their footing in the first half and one of those slips led to Yeovil taking the lead on 20 minutes.

Scot Bennett took a tumble out wide, allowing Green to pull the ball back for Diallang Jaiyesimi.

When he went down looking for a penalty it was left to Yoann Arquin to side-foot a close-range strike past Joe Day.

County hit back and could have levelled had Harris not inadvertently got in the way of Padraig Amond’s shot.

That all happened following a great piece of trickery on the right flank by Tyreeq Bakinson.

Amond went close again shortly after, though this time it was a header from a Dan Butler cross that just brushed the crossbar.

Things got worse for the hosts on 39 minutes when Yeovil doubled their advantage, and it was a really soft goal to concede.

Carl Dickinson’s cross from the left found Green and the former County man’s scuffed effort seemed to go past Day and into the net in slow motion.

And then it got much, much worse for Flynn’s men on the stroke of half-time.

All of a sudden Alex Pattison found himself in acres of space in midfield, he strode forward, played in Arquin, his shot was saved by Day and Jaiyesimi easily outjumped Mickey Demetriou to nod home.

It didn’t take a genius to imagine what went on in the Exiles’ changing room during the interval.

Flynn made a double change for the second period with Robbie Willmott and Keanu Marsh-Brown replacing David Pipe and Sheehan.

But they had barely settled into the game when three became four a couple of minutes after the interval.

In truth, Jaiyesimi could have got the visitors’ third when his shot was deflected into the arms of Day.

However, Green did make it 4-0, running on to a through ball and firing fiercely past the County keeper.

County responded with a couple of free-kicks from Dolan that went close, but the mood around the ground hit another low when Yeovil got their fifth.

Substitute Olufela Olomola had only been on for six minutes when he cut in from the left and squeezed a low effort inside Day’s near post.

At that point, County supporters would have thought their day wasn’t going to get any worse – they were wrong.

Day, who couldn’t do much about four of the first five Yeovil goals, had an absolute shocker when he let a Dickinson free-kick go through his legs.

And to top off a disastrous afternoon, Willmott received a straight red card for a studs up challenge on Olomola.

County: Day, Franks, Bennett, Demetriou (capt), Pipe (Willmott 46), Bakinson, Dolan, Butler, Sheehan (Marsh-Brown 46), Amond, Harris (O’Brien 84). Subs not used: Matt, Pring, Townsend, Semenyo.

Booked: Sheehan

Sent off: Willmott

Yeovil: Baxter, Mugabi, Sowunmi, Warren (Donnellan 72), Dickinson, Green (Rogers 85), Pattison, D'Almeida, Arquin, Jaiyesimi (Olomola 62), Fisher. Subs not used: Browne, Patrick, Gray, Phillips, Donnellan.

Referee: Peter Wright

Attendance: 4,167 (430 Yeovil)

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