GOALS from Padraig Amond and Frank Nouble earned Newport County AFC three points against League Two champions-elect Accrington Stanley, who pulled one back late on through Billy Kee. Here's what we learned...

1. The Exiles continued their Jekyll and Hyde form

Hopeless at Barnet on Saturday, County were heroic against Accrington as they kept up their recent pattern of raising their game against the division’s top sides.

They don’t come any better than Stanley this season and Michael Flynn’s men produced a fantastic team performance to deservedly beat the leaders and delay their title celebrations.

That inconsistency will frustrate the manager, players and fans alike but the Exiles have proved more than once this season that they can match and better the best that League Two has to offer.

2. Apprentice Flynn got the better of master Coleman 

The Exiles boss is the first to admit that he is still learning on the job and recent results and performances against sides at the wrong end of the table show there is plenty of room for improvement from his side.

But the new kid on the block once again came out on top against the experience of Stanley boss John Coleman, who was deservedly named manager of the year this month.

County were by far the better side for the majority of last night’s match. They also beat Accrington on the way to the Great Escape 12 months ago and were only denied victory at the Wham Stadium by a late leveller back in November.

3. Amazing Amond proved his quality once again

The Irishman’s 13th goal of the season was certainly unlucky for his former club and Amond could easily have been celebrating a hat-trick after a superb individual performance.

The former Stanley striker took his goal superbly and never stopped running in the driving rain, giving ex-County loanee Janoi Donacien and his defensive colleagues a night to forget in Newport.

Amond will be frustrated not to have added more to his tally but he is showing the form to suggest he could hit 20 goals next season, as he suggested after the last home win over Swindon Town.

4. Frustrating Frank won over some critics

It was a night that started poorly for Nouble as he lost possession a number of times, prompting familiar murmurs of discontent from the fans at Rodney Parade.

But it ended in a well-deserved standing ovation for the former West Ham man who produced a barnstorming second-half display and hammered in the crucial second goal.

He will not be satisfied with nine-goal tally for the season and his inconsistency has frustrated many but performances like this show that on his day he is a real handful for even the best teams in League Two.

5. Sheehan showed his worth

Many fans have been crying out for Josh Sheehan to get more minutes and they got their wish as the former Swansea City youngster was restored to the starting XI after a month on the bench.

He linked well with Amond, Nouble and Robbie Willmott as the quartet set about the Stanley defence with gusto in the first half and showed that they can be a formidable attacking unit.

Sheehan tired after the break and was replaced by Aaron Collins but he did enough to suggest that he could be a big part of this team after a full pre-season to really get him back to peak physical condition.