CONOR Wilkinson had no hesitation in declaring it his best ever birthday as he celebrated turning 21 by rescuing a point for his new club.

The Irish under-21 international, on loan from Bolton Wanderers, was in the right place at the right time when Alex Rodman’s shot was parried by Dagenham & Redbridge goalkeeper Mark Cousins two minutes from time.

His well taken debut goal completed a thrilling late fightback for Newport County AFC after fellow new boy John-Christophe Ayina’s 83rd-minute strike had halved the deficit.

The attendance at Rodney Parade was less than half the number that watched the FA Cup defeat to Blackburn Rovers, but the faithful 2,220 home fans went wild as Wilkinson charged off to celebrate with his dad.

It could have been even better for the Trotters tyro, who was denied a winner by a fine Cousins save in stoppage time, but this felt like a victory to him and to County.

Finally the boot was on the other foot for the Exiles.

Under previous manager John Sheridan they twice surrendered 2-0 leads in December – at Notts County and at home to AFC Wimbledon in successive weeks.

And they did the same in the cup at Brackley Town in November.

But here they were the ones to come back from the dead and they fully deserved a point having forced a staggering 15 corners in the second half alone.

The Exiles have to be applauded for their refusal to give up but new boss Warren Feeney couldn’t quite claim his side deserved to win.

County's start was simply dreadful as the Daggers drew blood after just 46 seconds courtesy of Newport-born nemesis Christian Doidge.

And they were 2-0 down after allowing Joe Worrall the freedom of the box to head home on six minutes.

That second goal came from the visitors’ one and only corner in the whole game.

Feeney’s men dominated thereafter and could have had at least two penalties but they were woefully wasteful with their set-pieces and always looked susceptible to being caught on the break.

Wilkinson, Rodman, Scott Boden, Andrew Hughes and captain Mark Byrne all went close before the break but at the other end Doidge and Ashley Chambers could have put the game to bed.

The hosts looked vulnerable throughout with injured centre-back Matt Partridge and defensive midfielder Connor Dymond much missed.

Dymond was the unlucky one to miss out with Feeney only able to select five of his six loan stars.

With defender Janoi Donacien forced off with a hamstring problem in the second half on Saturday he could well return to the starting XI at Leyton Orient on Tuesday night.

And it looks increasingly likely that former County captain Darren Jones could also be back in the fold at Brisbane Road.

The 32-year-old departed Rodney Parade in acrimonious circumstances amid claim and counter-claim last summer.

And, for whatever reasons, his move to Forest Green Rovers hasn’t worked out as he’d hoped.

But Jones, who was voted player of the season by Argus readers last year, perfectly matches Feeney’s job description.

The manager says he wants “soldiers who are going to go toe to toe with anyone” and Jones fits the bill.

With Wilkinson, Ayina, Boden and Deane Smalley there is plenty of competition for places up front.

And if mechanic Jones can fine tune things at the other end and use his experience to help the likes of Hughes and Partridge flourish then Feeney will be confident he can steer County clear of the League Two relegation zone.

County: Beeney; Holmes, Donacien (Barrow, 72) Hughes, Davies; Rodman, Byrne, Klukowski (Owen-Evans, 68); Wilkinson, Boden, Smalley (Ayina, 58)

Subs not used: Green, Taylor, Ralph, Twumasi

Booked: Wilkinson

Dagenham: Cousins; Passley, Worrall, Hoyte, Dikamona, Hemmings; Boucaud, Ladabie, Muldoon; Chambers, Doidge (Hawkins, 70)

Subs not used: O’Brien, Cureton, Jones, Raymond, Guttridge, Widdowson

Booked: Muldoon

Referee: Darren Deadman

Attendance: 2,323 (103 Dagenham)