NEWPORT County AFC slipped to a fifth defeat in six games in League Two as relegation-threatened Morecambe fought back to win 2-1 at the Globe Arena.

Joss Labadie gave County an early lead but County failed to build on their advantage and Morecambe were the better side after the interval as they turned the match on its head.

Goals from substitute Cole Stockton and midfielder John O’Sullivan were enough to seal all three points for the hosts, who climbed off the bottom of the table as a result.

Michael Flynn’s men, now winless in seven in the league, drop to 13th after another hammer blow to their confidence.

It had all looked so different early on as Labadie, returning from a hamstring injury to replace Matty Dolan, helped his side dominate the first 45 minutes.

They could have been ahead inside 25 seconds had Jamille Matt guided his header inside the post rather than outside it from Padraig Amond’s right-wing cross.

And that positive approach continued as both Labadie and Josh Sheehan won the ball in midfield and drove forward with intent in the opening stages.

Matt had another decent opportunity in the 13th minute but, under pressure from Steven Old, he couldn’t quite get a clean connection on Sheehan’s square ball across the face of goal.

The Exiles didn’t have to wait much longer to break the deadlock, however, as Labadie gave them a deserved lead a minute later.

The skipper curled a shot towards the top corner from the edge of the area and it bounced down off the underside of the bar and over the line.

The home fans weren’t convinced that the goal should have been awarded, but the assistant referee flagged straightaway and replays showed that it was the correct decision.

Morecambe responded at the other end as Nick Townsend, retaining his place in goal ahead of Tom King, raced out to clear from Carlos Mendes-Gomes and Aaron Wildig and Tom Brewitt failed to hit the target with headers.

But County will feel they should have been further ahead before the break as Matt was denied by Morecambe goalkeeper Mark Halstead and then denied a penalty when he went down in the box.

South Wales Argus:

Kevin Ellison, so often the Exiles’ nemesis, was introduced at half-time along with fellow front man Stockton and the second half was a completely different game with the hosts transformed.

The impressive A-Jay Leitch-Smith saw a header well held by Townsend three minutes after the restart and then tested the County keeper with a long-range effort.

Townsend then palmed a Mendes-Gomes cross onto the bar before brilliantly tipping over a dipping shot from Leitch-Smith and Amond then had to clear off the line to deny Old an equaliser.

Flynn brought on Scot Bennett in place of Taylor Maloney in an attempt to stem the tide.

But a Shrimps goal was coming and it duly arrived on 68 minutes when Stockton turned his man in the box and steered a shot under Townsend’s despairing dive.

The Exiles boss was then forced to introduce Ryan Inniss in place of the injured Mark O’Brien and he also threw on Tristan Abrahams for George Nurse to try to reinvigorate the attack.

The changes couldn’t halt the momentum that Morecambe had built up and they surged into the lead 10 minutes from the end.

John O’Sullivan rounded off a flowing counter-attacking move with a superb finish to complete the turnaround and continue County’s miserable run of form.

County: Townsend; McNamara, O’Brien (Inniss, 71), Demetriou, Haynes; Maloney (Bennett, 67), Sheehan, Labadie, Nurse (Abrahams, 71); Amond, Matt

Subs not used: King, Dolan, Collins, Poleon

Referee: Paul Marsden

Attendance: 2,161 (91 County)

Argus star man: Labadie