NEWPORT County AFC will almost certainly be playing League Two football again next year after a disappointing home defeat to struggling Stevenage put another huge dent in their fading play-off hopes.

County’s schizophrenic form continued as they followed up last week’s impressive display in a 1-1 draw with Coventry City with another lacklustre performance at Rodney Parade.

It continued a pattern that began with the 2-1 home defeat to Crewe Alexandra immediately after the 1-1 draw with promotion-chasing Luton Town last month.

Michael Flynn’s men remain 11 points off the top seven but they drop to 13th in the table and they will regret a below par performance against Dino Maamria’s side, who won it thanks to Chris Whelpdale’s first-half header.

Mark O’Brien and Paul Hayes failed to recover from their respective knee and calf problems so Aaron Collins and Frank Nouble were recalled to the starting XI.

That meant a switch to four at the back and it certainly looked like an attacking line up but most of the chances came at the other end as goalkeeper Joe Day endured a shaky first 45 minutes.

The Exiles’ stopper’s difficult afternoon started as early as the fifth minute when he attempted to punch away Joe Martin’s free-kick but missed the ball and allowed Luke Wilkinson to nod wide.

Mickey Demetriou then twice spared Day’s blushes as he again failed to claim high balls into the box.

First Demetriou hacked away Danny Newton’s effort on 16 minutes and after half an hour he diverted another Newton shot behind for a corner with the goal gaping.

Day did produce an excellent reaction save to deny Luke Amos from the resulting corner but his confidence was clearly low.

And it was no surprise when he failed to come for a tempting Ronnie Henry cross from the right and Whelpdale headed in at the far post to give the visitors a deserved lead three minutes before the break.

It was nearly two in stoppage time but Ben Tozer did well to deflect Newton’s long-range drive wide of the post.

The Exiles had offered little to excite the home fans in the first half with Padraig Amond and Robbie Willmott going closest from their rare opportunities.

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Flynn sent the players out early for the second half and he changed things around with Tozer dropping back into a three-man defence, allowing Collins, Nouble (above) and Willmott to offer more support to Amond up front.

But Stevenage looked full of confidence and were so close to doubling their lead within the first minute.

Day had to be alert to keep out a smart volley from Newton and, after failing to claim the corner, Ben Kennedy sliced a half volley well wide from the edge of the box.

County could have been awarded a penalty five minutes after the interval when Nouble went down after a tangle of legs with Stevenage’s Arsenal loanee Ben Sheaf.

But referee Ollie Yates was adamant that no offence had been committed and Nouble headed straight at goalkeeper Tom King soon afterwards.

Josh Sheehan replaced the ineffective Collins just after the hour mark and the former Swansea City midfielder thought he should have had a penalty on 66 minutes but the referee again waved away the appeals.

Day got away with another mad dash from his goal just before that when Ben White blocked Alex Revell’s chipped shot on the line.

At the other end David Pipe drilled a shot across the face of goal before making way for Swansea loanee Tyler Reid for the final 13 minutes.

Marlon Jackson replaced Tozer soon afterwards but the comeback failed to materialise and it was Stevenage who almost added a second when Newton poked a shot over the bar after a long ball down the middle.

County: Day; Pipe (Reid, 77), White, Demetriou, Butler; Willmott, Dolan, Tozer (Jackson 81), Collins (Sheehan, 61); Nouble, Amond

Subs not used: Bittner, Bennett, Jahraldo-Martin, Touray

Booked: Butler

Referee: Ollie Yates

Attendance: 4,007

Argus star man: Demetriou