NEWPORT County AFC climbed to sixth in League Two thanks to Joss Labadie’s winner against Walsall at the Bescot Stadium.

The Exiles were in danger of having to settle for a point despite their best performance in months after wasting chances to open the scoring in the West Midlands.

However, their captain broke the deadlock after 70 minutes when he hit the bar with a shot and then nodded the rebound over the line.

Here are the talking points after County held on for three well-deserved points on the road…

South Wales Argus:

'LABS' THE LEADER

County deserved their win and their skipper deserved his goal.

So much hinges on Labadie in the run-in – the midfielder has the physicality and knowhow to thrive on the tricky Rodney Parade surface and showed his footballing ability at the Bescot.

The 30-year-old was superb at both ends of the pitch, coming up with some important defensive interventions and linking play nicely in the attacking third.

He put Nicky Maynard in for a shot at goal in the first half and produced a peach of a pass with the outside of his boot to set up Dom Telford early in the second half.

The Labadie, Josh Sheehan, Scot Bennett midfield had a lovely balance and helped County to put in arguably their best display of the winter.

SENIORS STAND UP

Flynn made an excellent point a few weeks back, County have been hit as hard by suspensions as they were by being down to 10 men.

Liam Shephard, Sheehan, Labadie, and Bennett played together for the first time since January 16 at Walsall.

As a group, the senior players stood tall in the West Midlands with Matty Dolan a huge influence on a better surface.

There wasn’t a weak link and perhaps only forwards Dom Telford and Nicky Maynard would have headed home slightly disappointed after missing chances to score the opener.

This was a big team effort with the experienced pros steering the ship.

South Wales Argus:

BE ROBUST, RYAN

So much of County’s play goes through the creative Liam Shephard down the right yet it is Ryan Haynes on the left who has provided the assists for the last two goals.

The wing-back set up Telford to earn a late point against nine-man Exeter and then whipped in the ball for Labadie to hit the winner in Walsall.

Shephard is my star of the season so far and Haynes would be my pick for the most frustrating player, because he has the talent to be just as effective as his teammate on the other flank.

He started the season superbly but has tailed off, not helped by the Exiles’ dip as a unit.

Teams appear to be targeting the left side of County’s defence and goals against Cheltenham, Oldham and Forest Green have come from doing just that.

Perhaps that was why Flynn got onto Haynes in the second half after he went down for treatment after one light challenge and then winced after being caught in possession when trying to be a little too clever, providing Walsall with a chance to counter.

Some theatrics didn’t win a free-kick and instead led to the Saddlers swinging in a dangerous cross and County having to scramble behind for a corner.

"Ryan, if you dive again I’m taking you off,” shouted his manager as County looked to avoid dropping two points.

There are times when you want your left-back to be a little more Pat Van den Hauwe.

Haynes’ left boot is such a weapon in attack but County need him to also be rugged and switched-on in defence.

BACK IT UP

It’s only one win and we’ve been here before in February when the battling success against Grimsby when down to 10 men was meant to be County’s launchpad.

This time they have to back it up and the midweek results show that there are no gimmes in League Two.

Stevenage head to Newport on Saturday afternoon and an ugly win will do just fine.

County must find a method that works at Rodney Parade – there is no point grumbling about the surface, ‘it is what it is’ – and then relish being on their travels.

If County can beat Stevenage it sets them up for a block that features four away games in five with trips to promotion rivals Tranmere, Colchester, Morecambe and Port Vale with a home fixture in the middle against resurgent Bradford.

The only thing that is predictable is that League Two will go to the wire.