A RYAN Bird penalty midway through the second half was enough to give Newport County AFC another three points and another massive boost in the battle to beat the drop.

Caretaker manager Michael Flynn kept up his 100 per cent record since replacing Graham Westley with a nervy but fully deserved 1-0 victory against Morecambe at the Globe Arena.

The Exiles are still seven points from safety with a game in hand but two wins from two under Flynn means they are now off the bottom of the table – above Leyton Orient on goal difference.

Sean Rigg recovered from the bang to the head that forced him off at Crewe to ensure that Flynn could name an unchanged starting XI.

And they picked up where they’d left off at Gresty Road with a superb display at the Globe Arena.

After Scot Bennett had cleared off the line from Rhys Turner in the second minute, Flynn’s men took the game to their hosts and created chance after chance but just couldn’t find the net in the first 45 minutes.

Academy graduate Tom Owen-Evans again impressed in central midfield and he forced the first save from Morecambe goalkeeper Barry Roche in the sixth minute.

Captain Joss Labadie also made his presence felt in the middle and, having grabbed the last-minute winner on Saturday, he almost broke the deadlock at the Globe Arena but his header was deflected behind.

From the corner Mark O’Brien hooked a shot just over the top then Roche denied Alex Samuel with a smart save and Sid Nelson’s effort was a fraction high.

Rigg, who was causing the Shrimps all sorts of problems as he roamed from side to side behind Bird, controlled a high ball brilliantly and sent a low drive towards the bottom corner that Roche did well to save at full stretch.

And, moments later, the tireless Samuel linked well with Dan Butler down the left and Rigg glanced a header past the far post.

The hosts almost made County pay for their profligacy in first half stoppage time as the dangerous Anthony Evans found space 25 yards out and smacked a shot against the bar with Joe Day beaten.

It would have been extremely harsh if Flynn’s men had trailed at the break but they continued to go for it after the break and this time their efforts were rewarded.

Two minutes after the restart Bird poked a Butler cross onto the post and the ball rolled along the line before being cleared away by Dean Winnard.

There was still danger at the other end, however, and Day had to be at his best to keep out a curling effort from Paul Mullin before Bird hacked a header off the line.

As if to emphasize the end-to-end nature of the second half, Rigg cut in from the left and saw his cross-shot beaten away by Roche and a Morecambe counter saw Evans place his shot just wide of Day’s near post.

Then came the key moment on 67 minutes as Samuel turned his man on the right of the box and hit the deck after feeling a tug on his shirt.

Referee Peter Bankes upset the locals by pointing to the spot and Bird slammed the penalty straight down the middle to give County a deserved lead. Flynn replaced the tiring Rigg with Mickey Demetriou as Morecambe turned up the heat.

Owen-Evans denied substitute Lee Molyneux what looked a certain leveller with a brilliant block and Labadie also had to clear off the line shortly afterwards.

Jazzi Barnum-Bobb replaced Mark O’Brien as County rejigged things at the back and Michael Rose fired wide with Day scrambling to his right.

Barnum-Bobb and fellow sub Aaron Williams both went close to settling the contest and the Exiles’ nerves.

But they survived seven nail-biting minutes of injury time to further boost belief that the Great Escape is back on.

County: Day; Nelson, Bennett, O’Brien (Barnum-Bobb, 80); Pipe, Owen-Evans, Labadie, Butler; Samuel (Williams, 86), Bird, Rigg (Demetriou, 70)

Subs not used: Bittner, Randall, Gordon, Jackson

Referee: Peter Bankes

Attendance: 1,080 (48 County)

Argus star man: Samuel