NEWPORT County will feel they addressed few of their issues on Saturday, but they are unlikely to care a jot.

The Exiles have injury troubles that are growing and growing and now seemingly have a situation with certain players frustrated at a section of the Amber Army support following a row at Oxford United.

Despite manager Justin Edinburgh’s call to arms about increasing attendances, County again failed to hit the 3000 mark on Saturday, but all the negatives don’t negate the positive of an excellent three points.

Despite the heart being ripped out of the side through injury and in spite of the fact that Newport’s strikers are still struggling for form, the Exiles were worthy winners over an extremely poor York who utterly surrendered a contest they led at half time.

Many commented after Newport’s season altering 1-1 draw with Cambridge United that the Exiles would play far worse and win, a point underlined beautifully by the topsy-turvy nature of Saturday’s contest.

Newport won few plaudits at the Kassam Stadium and the first half on Saturday was a continuation of that, albeit with mitigating circumstances.

The absence of the injured Adam Chapman and the suspended Mark Byrne is the removal of County’s core and the Exiles missed natural wingbacks Ryan Jackson and Andy Sandell just as much as they looked cumbersome and predictable in an especially poor first half.

Manager Edinburgh might be displeased with attendances that are dipping below 3000, but several hundred at Rodney Parade on Saturday were probably wishing they were shopping, fishing, or anywhere but there at half time with County trailing and seemingly bereft of ideas.

Without their midfielders the Exiles failed to gain a control of the contest as they have so often recently and they were massively lacking in width.

Playing in attack as an orthodox winger was a big ask of Andrew Hughes and Robbie Willmott had an uncharacteristically poor game before being injured in a 50/50 challenge.

He was singled out for criticism by a minority of fans at Oxford and it has clearly affected him, to the point of cutting a forlorn figure. Whether you attribute that as a sensitive player whose excellent form means he was rightly disgruntled or as sulking, well that will depend on your perspective, but Willmott’s body language wasn’t good.

And with a trio of players – Lee Minshull, Yan Klukowski and James Loveridge – all asked to play unfamiliar roles, it was perhaps no surprise the Exiles looked quite so disjointed.

However, there will still be a degree of annoyance about how County surrendered the advantage on just eight minutes, basic defensive mistakes costing them as they did in the opening weeks of the campaign.

They were totally undone by a quick freekick, by virtue of nothing more than the York players being more switched on and better positioned. By the time the ball reached loan debutant Diego De Girolamo, County’s defenders could do nothing but lunge desperately for the ball and via a deflection, Joe Day was beaten without having a chance to make a save.

It summed up a first half where Newport were always a step off the pace and generally speaking, would put a pass astray any time they found a promising position.

The ball wasn’t sticking with either Zebroski or Joe Pigott and while Loveridge’s trickery caught the eye, he wasn’t offered suitable support as Klukowski and Minshull were forced to hustle and bustle from deep.

It was a full twenty minutes until the Exiles made Michael Ingram make any sort of save and Joe Pigott’s effort was tame enough, but the final few minutes of the half were more of an indicator of what was to come, Russ Penn booked for a late challenge and County playing with more tempo, resulting in Zebroski’s header being tipped over from a trademark Willmott cross.

However, much as in their last home clash when they scored straight after the restart, Newport again saw the contest swing violently in their favour within 60 seconds of the second period, with a ludicrously stupid challenge by Penn on Minshull resulting in a thoroughly deserved red card.

The Exiles now had to break down ten men and did so with ease, fashioning a good opening to level that was brilliantly converted by Hughes who showed all his qualities – pace and strength followed by technique and composure - as he blasted home an equalizer from just inside the area.

York were suddenly facing a tide of Newport attacks and they self destructed, Marvin McCoy selling sub goalkeeper Jason Mooney miles short with a backpass that Zebroski took full advantage of.

The Exiles contrived to almost gift the Minstermen an equalizer when Lindon Meikle went clean through, but he failed to lob Day and that was their moment gone.

County sealed the match with one of their outstanding goals from this or any other season, Darren Jones smashing home a half-volley from around 22-yards in a genuine “where you there when…” moment.

Sub Aaron O’Connor might have grabbed a fourth but that would’ve been excessive on a day where Newport didn’t do too much right and didn’t need to; coasting to a victory without ever playing close to their best.

Newport County: (3-5-2): Day, Tancock (Porter 56), Jones, Yakubu, Willmott (Flynn 46), Hughes, Minshull, Klukowski, Loveridge, Pigott (O’Connor 75), Zebroski

Subs not used: Pidgeley, Feely, Owen-Evans, Poole

Booked: Tancock

York City: (4-4-2): Ingram (Mooney 46), McCoy, Ilesanmi, McCombe, Lowe, Meikle, Jarvis (Summerfield 68), Penn, Montrose, Brunt, De Girolamo 7 (Platt 48)

Subs not used: Straker, Hirst, Godfrey, Murray

Booked: Montrose, Penn

Sent off: Penn

Referee: Carl Berry

Attendance: 2822

Argus star man: Darren Jones