WHAT a difference a week makes.

It would be an overstatement to say that Newport County AFC got their season back on track against the Railwaymen.

But this result and this performance breathed new life into a campaign that looked to have spluttered to a halt under Graham Westley with that abject surrender against Leyton Orient.

County looked down and out and sacking Westley and installing Michael Flynn as caretaker manager was the last throw of the dice.

And, while the odds are still stacked against the Exiles, the players at least demonstrated to the travelling fans that they will fight to the end to save their club from relegation.

Flynn knows exactly what Football League status means to his hometown club and he will not let them go down with a whimper like they did against Orient.

His side could have caved in after conceding another goal on the break as hosts Crewe Alexandra collected a long throw from Scot Bennett and launched a swift counter-attack that ended with Middlesbrough loanee Callum Cooke firing into the bottom corner midway through the first half.

Instead, inspired by the words of Flynn and returning coach Wayne Hatswell at half-time, they staged a stirring fightback in the second half.

David Pipe and captain Joss Labadie both went close before Dan Butler popped up with another crucial goal, volleying past Ben Garratt in the Crewe goal after Pipe’s cross was half cleared on 53 minutes.

South Wales Argus:

The visitors knew that a point would not be enough with three there for the taking and they attacked with a real sense of purpose.

Alex Samuel and Butler had further chances and the impressive Tom Owen-Evans was so nearly the hero at the far post.

And the academy graduate played a vital role in the winner as he headed the ball into Labadie’s path and the skipper controlled superbly before producing an assured finish to seal a deserved three points in the final minute of normal time.

After a nail-biting six minutes of time added on, Flynn paid tribute to the work of the departed Westley and his assistant Dino Maamria.

“I think last Saturday was a one-off; the boys worked really hard for Graham before that,” he said.

“And one thing I’ve got to thank Graham and Dino for is how fit the boys were in the end. They just kept going and going and that’s credit to the way they’ve been managed.”

But Flynn deserves the credit for re-energising a squad that looked dead on its feet last week and the pride that he so obviously brings to the role may at least gives the Exiles some hope.

“It could easily have got very emotional but I was very conscious that I didn’t want to get too excited,” he added. “I was just encouraging and my voice has gone.

“When Jaanai [Gordon] tried running with the ball in the middle of the pitch with a minute to go I screamed at him to get it in the corner!

“But the boys were superb and I thought Tom Owen-Evans (below) was the best player on the park.

“I had him in the academy and I thought he was outstanding. He was my man of the match.”

South Wales Argus:

County: Day; Nelson, Bennett, O’Brien; Pipe (Barnum-Bobb, 71), Labadie, Owen-Evans, Butler; Samuel (Gordon, 85), Bird, Rigg (Demetriou, 51)

Subs not used: Bittner, Reid, Jackson, Williams

Referee: Mark Haywood

Attendance: 3,725 (198 County)