SUBSTITUTE Antoine Semenyo’s 98th-minute winner gave Newport County AFC a dramatic first win over League Two rivals Stevenage in eight attempts.

Rodney Parade erupted deep into injury time as the striker on loan from Bristol City struck to seal all three points for Michael Flynn’s men.

It had looked like the Exiles would have to settle for a share of the spoils after Matty Dolan’s sensational first-minute screamer was cancelled out by Luther Wildin on the stroke of half-time.

County boss Flynn made just one change to his team following the 1-1 draw at Forest Green Rovers with Dolan in for Semenyo, both of whom ended up on the scoresheet.

Dolan made a dramatic early impact on the game, breaking the deadlock with just 46 seconds gone.

The ball fell kindly to the midfielder some 25 yards from the visitors’ goal and Dolan didn’t need a second invitation to let fly with a stunning strike which flew past Seny Dieng.

County looked to build on their perfect start, getting men forward at every opportunity, though they were unable to finish off a couple of decent moves.

The visitors tried their best to get into the match and Steve Seddon was stopped in his tracks illegally by Tyler Forbes.

The right-back earned a booking for the foul but four minutes later and Stevenage also had a player cautioned when Michael Timlin blatantly hauled back a surging Tyreeq Bakinson.

On-loan Bakinson featured a lot in a largely scrappy first half, one moment looking like a world-beater, the next giving Flynn reason to pull his hair out in frustration.

In fairness, that could be said of most of the home team, who always seemed to be close to producing something magic or one mistake away from letting Stevenage back into the game.

With deliveries into the box not up to scratch, strikers Jamille Matt and Padraig Amond had to feed off scraps in the hope of doubling the lead.

Despite that, County weren’t being troubled and keeper Joe Day hardly had anything to do, but the visitors snatched an equaliser right on half-time.

Wildin ghosted into the County area and, finding himself in plenty of space, guided a header back across goal and past Day.

County couldn’t start the second period like they had the first, but Dan Butler did test Dieng in the Stevenage goal, striking a low shot that the gloveman easily dealt with.

Dieng repeated the feat minutes later when Exile skipper Mickey Demetriou decided to try his luck from the same spot as Butler.

That proved to be the last action before Bakinson, who had made an important challenge not long before, hobbled off to be replaced by Semenyo.

The unlucky Bakinson had barely got back to the changing room when his team nearly regained the lead.

Scot Bennett, who had moved up into midfield with Bakinson off, found Matt.

He did well to take control of the situation, cut inside Scott Cuthbert and find space for a shot.

Unfortunately, Matt slipped as he went for goal and the ball sailed wide.

While some sloppy mistakes were creeping into County’s game, they still looked the more likely to grab a second.

And on 69 minutes Amond saw his appeals for a penalty waved away after his effort struck a Stevenage defender and Semenyo couldn’t turn in the rebound.

Robbie Willmott, making his first home start of the campaign, didn’t see any of that after taking a blow off the ball.

He eventually left the field on a stretcher some minutes later with David Pipe coming off the bench.

It was the lengthy delay to treat Willmott that resulted in nine minutes of added on time – and with just one of those nine to go the hosts were celebrating as Semenyo came up trumps.

The youngest member of the team cut in from the left and found the bottom corner of Dieng’s net with an unstoppable strike.

Cue wild celebrations on the pitch and in the stands as County left it late yet again.

County: Day, Forbes, Butler, Franks, Demetriou (capt), Bennett, Willmott (Pipe 77), Dolan, Bakinson (Semenyo 56), Matt, Amond. Subs not used: Townsend, Sheehan, Pring, Cooper.

Booked: Forbes

Stevenage: Dieng, Wildin, Cuthbert, Nugent, Seddon, Campbell-Ryce (Sonupe 85), Timlin (Ferry 82), Byrom, Kennedy (Reid 90+2), Newton, Revell (capt). Subs not used: Appleyard, Hunt, Iontton, Wilkinson.

Booked: Timlin, Newton

Referee: Keith Stroud

Attendance: 3,126 (including 71 away)

Argus star man: Matty Dolan