SOUTH Wales may have been shaken by an earthquake before kick-off but there was little to get fans out of their seats at Rodney Parade as Newport County AFC and Notts County battled to a 0-0 stalemate.

It has to be seen as a decent point for Michael Flynn’s men as they halted a run of three successive league defeats against one of the best sides in the division.

And a clean sheet for was more than welcome after conceding 10 goals in those three tough away games at Lincoln City, Colchester United and Mansfield Town.

Flynn insisted he would not ‘overreact’ to the midweek mauling at Mansfield and he was true to his word.

The Exiles boss made just three changes to the side that was humbled 5-0 at the One Call Stadium and one of those was enforced with Scot Bennett ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Matty Dolan and Frank Nouble, who were withdrawn at half-time in Nottinghamshire, dropped to the bench and in came Mark O’Brien, Ben Tozer and Shawn McCoulsky.

That meant a switch to a back three with Robbie Willmott getting forward from midfield to support front two Padraig Amond and McCoulsky.

The Exiles started brightly with Willmott finding plenty of space down the left flank and crossing for Amond, whose shot was well off target.

At the other end Jon Stead was the main threat for the visitors and he fashioned three half chances in the opening 10 minutes.

But Joe Day wasn’t called into serious action until he pushed away an Elliott Hewitt effort from 25 yards on 15 minutes.

County’s back line looked much more solid than it had at Mansfield and both defences dominated for much of the first half.

Visiting goalkeeper Adam Collin wasn’t seriously threatened before the break but he would have been concerned when Amond controlled a Day goal-kick with his chest before firing over the bar from the edge of the area.

The free-scoring Jorge Grant curled a free-kick just wide of the post in first-half stoppage time but neither side offered enough going forward in what turned into a drab first half.

The match needed something to spark it into life and the home fans were roused by a late challenge on O’Brien, which earned Stead a yellow card.

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The Exiles had the ball in the net shortly afterwards as Joss Labadie volleyed in from close range but the referee’s whistle had already sounded for a foul by McCoulsky on Notts stopper Collin.

Flynn changed things up front after 20 minutes of the second half with Nouble and Marlon Jackson replacing Amond and McCoulsky.

Tozer wasted a good chance to break the deadlock on 62 minutes when he headed well wide from a Willmott corner.

And the hosts had Day to thank for keeping them on level terms shortly afterwards as he saved brilliantly from Lewis Alessandra after Grant had beaten David Pipe and seen a shot cleared off the line. Liam Noble then blasted over from the rebound.

Jackson created a couple of late chances for Labadie with clever headers back across goal but the skipper was foiled on both occasions and County had to settle for a hard-earned point.

County: Day; White, O’Brien, Demetriou; Pipe, Tozer, Labadie, Butler; Willmott; Amond (Jackson, 64), McCoulsky (Nouble, 65)

Subs not used: Bittner, Reid, Dolan, Sheehan, Hayes

Booked: Pipe, Labadie

Referee: Robert Lewis

Attendance: 3,326

Argus star man: Day