Padraig Amond brace not enough for Newport County at Lincoln City

Some dreadful defending allowed League Two leaders Lincoln City to surge into a 2-0 lead inside the first seven minutes.

Padraig Amond pulled a goal back just before the break and again 13 minutes from the end after Tom Pett had extended the Imps’ lead.

But they couldn’t force an equaliser at the death and Michael Flynn’s men are now down to eighth in the table and out of the play-off places, albeit with a game in hand on some of their rivals.

The pre-match talk was of County ‘laying down a marker’ and proving that they belonged in the League Two promotion picture.

But that went out of the window early on as the hosts steamrollered their way through the leaky visiting defence.

The first arrived in the third minute as County only half cleared a corner and when it was swung back into the box it was that man John Akinde who used his strength to ensure he was in the right place to fire past Joe Day from close range.

The shot took a deflection but it will go down as the striker’s seventh goal in eight games against County and his 10th of the season.

The Exiles were still reeling four minutes later when they backed off and allowed Harry Anderson to run with the ball to the edge of the box and drill a low shot past Day and inside the far post.

So much for keeping it tight in the opening 20 minutes!

It was just the sort of nightmare start that the visitors wanted to avoid.

To their credit, however, they managed to steady the ship and apply some pressure at the other end.

Antoine Semenyo, who started on the left of midfield, looked a real threat and twice tested Lincoln goalkeeper Grant Smith in the opening stages.

Mark O’Brien saw a shot blocked after 15 minutes and Robbie Willmott’s powerful half-volley from Jamille Matt’s pull-back forced Smith into a fine fingertip save 10 minutes later.

There were still some narrow escapes at the back as David Pipe blocked a Shay McCarten effort and Day gathered a dangerous toe-poke from Anderson.

But County were growing in confidence and Matt should have done better from a tempting Willmott cross before a Matty Dolan free-kick was pushed behind for a corner.

And the pressure finally told in the final minute of the half when another corner resulted in a spot of pinball in the box and Amond was the quickest to react as he hammered home from a few yards out to give his side hope.

After that late strike, the start of the second half was a much more cagey affair with Lincoln a little more cautious in their approach.

They still created the better chances, however, and nearly extended their lead 10 minutes after the restart but Day did well to keep out a vicious McCarten free-kick.

Flynn replaced Dolan with Joss Labadie and County still looked dangerous with Grant forced to clear from under his bar before Semenyo headed just wide from 10 yards out.

But the killer blow arrived midway through the second half as Akinde headed a high ball into the path of Pett and the former Stevenage man expertly guided the ball past Day and into the far corner of the net.

Mark Harris replaced Willmott for the closing stages as the Exiles attempted to force their way back into the game for a second time.

Amond again gave them hope with a fabulous finish 13 minutes from time after Matt took advantage of a howler from Smith to tee up his strike partner.

The home fans endured a nervy finale, especially during five minutes of stoppage time, but their side held on comfortably enough to ensure they will be top of the tree at Christmas.

County will hope to bounce back when they welcome Forest Green Rovers to Rodney Parade on Boxing Day.

County: Day; Pipe (Sheehan, 89), Franks, O’Brien, Butler; Willmott (Harris, 71), Bennett, Dolan (Labadie, 57), Semenyo; Amond, Matt

Subs not used: Townsend, Demetriou, Pring, Bakinson

Booked: Bennett, Labadie

Referee: Thomas Bramall

Attendance: 8,632 (185 County)

Argus star man: Amond