“I’VE got to hit the target; flipping useless!” yelled a frustrated Kevin Ellison as he trudged down the tunnel at the Globe Arena soon after 5pm on Saturday evening.

I’ve adapted one word in that quote as the Argus is a family publication but, industrial language aside, they are words to put a smile on the face of any Newport County AFC fan.

For once when County took on Morecambe it wasn’t Ellison’s day.

The teams had met five times before this game and the Exiles had lost all five.

Ellison has been the pantomime villain in every one – scoring three goals, winning three penalties and forcing own goals, gaffes and red cards seemingly at will.

The veteran Shrimps wind-up merchant has always had the better of County up to this weekend.

But this time it was different. This time the boys in amber had the last laugh. Finally.

Two goals from Scot Boden ultimately proved the difference as he moved into double figures for the season.

The first came after just 56 seconds as he tapped in a Mark Byrne corner on the line and the second, on 69 minutes, was a sublime volley from Alex Rodman’s perfect cross.

In between Ellison saw a shot diverted onto the bar and troubled the same bit of woodwork with a header moments later before Shaun Miller levelled on the hour with a wonder strike.

And on 87 minutes came the moment that had Ellison cursing (literally) after the final whistle.

The ball broke to the 36-year-old in the penalty area and he had the space to take aim as the crowd held their breath.

County goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney would have got nowhere near it but Ellison’s shot whizzed across the face of goal and wide of the post.

A huge relief and a moment to savour for the 111 fans that made the long trip from Newport.

But this win was about much more than getting one over Ellison, even if that was long overdue.

The Exiles displayed more grit than a whole fleet of salt spreading trucks in awful conditions on the Lancashire coast.

The wind was so strong at times that it made taking a corner, let alone defending one, almost impossible and often saw passes and through balls end up 90 degrees away from their intended destination.

And, boy, was it cold. But there was plenty to warm the hearts of everyone connected with County.

After the hosts got back into it there can’t have been any supporter who didn’t think ‘here we go again’ with half an hour remaining.

But Warren Feeney’s men didn’t get blown away this time.

This time they refused to buckle and one moment of quality from Rodman allowed Boden to net the winner.

There was still more work to do after that but County coped with everything thrown at them.

Darren Jones and Andrew Hughes were imperious at the back, Byrne brilliant in front of them and Conor Wilkinson a constant menace up front alongside Boden.

The three points means the all-important cushion above the League Two relegation places is back up to seven points.

And it gives Feeney and team some breathing space as, with three home games in February, they attempt to replicate their impressive away form at Rodney Parade.

Morecambe: Roche; Conlan, Parrish, Dugdale, Beeley; Ellison, Goodall (Mullin, 77), Fleming, Barkhuizen; Devitt, Miller

Subs not used: O’Hara, Edwards, Molyneux, Wilson, Doyle

Booked: Ellison, Conlan

County: Beeney; Davies, Hughes, Jones, Holmes; Elito, Byrne, Rodman; Smalley (Barrow, 73), Wilkinson (Ayina, 85), Boden

Subs not used: Green, Taylor, Ralph, Owen-Evans, Dymond

Booked: Boden

Referee: Mark Brown

Attendance: 1,342 (111 County)