NEWPORT County AFC’s first team enjoyed their pre-season opener with a 4-3 success at Swindon Supermarine.

Goals by wing Lamar Reynolds, an own goal, Robbie Willmott and Marlon Jackson ensured a useful workout resulted in a victory.

Not that the result matters in such games, and every bright performance has the caveat of it being against inferior opposition, but boss Mike Flynn will have been pleased with bright displays by new boys Reynolds and Nouble in attack while academy youngster Jay Foulston did very nicely alongside some experienced defenders.

After the Undy T Party on Friday evening, when Flynn named a XI that featured just Jamie Turley along with trialists that the club referred to as T1 to T10, this was a more serious affair in the build-up to Stevenage on August 5.

As ever the result was an irrelevance, it was still just a friendly used to blow away the cobwebs, but the squad managed to either get their first minutes in the middle since THAT game or a first run out in County colours.

After Welsh League Division One opposition on Friday, the Exiles were up against Southern Football League Division One South and West challengers.

County had played Supermarine in July 2013 ahead of their return to the Football League when goals by Conor Washington and Christian Jolley secured a 2-1 success.

Flynn was in midfield on that evening but this time he was on a watching brief and will now demand that his players stay on an upward curve until their last tune-up, the reunion with Justin Edinburgh, Sam Foley and Regan Poole at League One Northampton in a fortnight’s time.

Supermarine, who had lost 7-1 to Swindon Town the previous Saturday and 2-1 to Tim Harris’ Gloucester City on Tuesday, provided good enough opposition for give Flynn food for thought.

County were on the front foot from the off with midfielder Tom Owen-Evans firing a shot over the bar from the edge of the area after a sixth-minute corner before striker Frank Nouble did the same after making room for a long-range effort.

However, the Exiles were in front after 13 minutes thanks to a smart break into the box down the left by winger Reynolds, who then squeezed a left-footed shot under goalkeeper Josh Hill.

One was close to becoming two just past 20 minutes only for the Supermarine woodwork to save the hosts.

First Nouble hit the bar with a glorious 30-yard chip – Exiles ‘keeper James Bittner purring “Ooh Frank” as soon as the forward struck the ball – and then Reynolds was denied by the left post after cutting in from the flank.

Supermarine had their own close thing when young defender Jay Foulston cleared a goal-bound shot close to his line but the Exiles had breathing space after 26 minutes when Nouble got in down the right and his dangerous cross was turned into the home net by defender Jack Alexander.

Nouble was continuing to cause problems for the home defence and forced them to scramble after another strong run into the area but it was 2-1 as half-time approached.

The Exiles’ defence was stretched before a cross from the left by Ryan Campbell was turned in by Connor Thompson, the referee ignoring grumbles about offside that were led by David Pipe.

Bittner was forced into action with the final play of the half when he securely gathered a free-kick by TJ Bohane that took a nick off the wall, County heading to their changing room 2-1 up before Flynn rang the changes for the second half.

The new-look Exiles settled swiftly after the resumption with Robbie Willmott stinging the palms of Hill with a sweet shot and striker Marlon Jackson had a header from a corner nodded over the bar before missing past the right stick from the subsequent set piece.

But County didn’t have to wait long to regain their two-goal buffer with Willmott driving home a 25-yard free-kick, although perhaps the wall composition and goalkeeping was a tad generous.

If that was potential preventable, there was nothing that Bittner could do with a free-kick after 65 minutes following a needless foul by Trialist 1 outside his box.

TJ Bohane smashed home a effort into the top left corner – think Stuart Pearce against Tottenham in the 1991 FA Cup final.

It was a sublime strike and Flynn’s side were, understandably, struggling a bit for fluency with the mix of trialists and first-teamers.

They settled when Jackson made it 4-2 in the 75th minute with a delightful finish, dinking past the onrushing keeper and calmly rolling home after a lovely Sean Rigg through ball, only for Campbell to strike back within a minute with a strong shot close to the body of Bittner.

That was the end of the scoring with County having the better of the closing stages.

County first half: Bittner, Pipe, Butler, Foulston, O’Brien, Trialist 1, Dolan, Owen-Evans, Trialist 2, Reynolds, Nouble.

County second half: Bittner, Barnum-Bobb, Butler, Foulston, Demetriou, Trialist 1, Willmott, Rigg, Williams, Trialist 3, Jackson.

Scorers: Reynolds, own goal, Willmott, Jackson

Swindon Supermarine scorers: Connor Thompson, TJ Bohane, Ryan Campbell

Referee: Ben Williams (Swindon)