County got an impressive point at 3rd-placed Northampton, but were left cursing our luck after Sam Hoskins levelled late on.
Omar Bogle gave County a dream start just two minutes in when Mickey Demetriou's long throw-in from the right was flicked on by Priestley Farquharson into the path of Bogle who made no mistake to finish from point-blank range.
Hoskins struck in second-half stoppage time though to limit Newport to a point at Sixfields.
Northampton were then subject to a first-half onslaught and somehow kept the score down to 1-0.
First came Adam Lewis' free-kick on the quarter-hour mark that was straight at Lee Burge and saved but Burge had to work harder to push Demetriou's acrobatic effort past the post.
Burge outdone himself a minute later though. After Will Evans picked out Bogle with a through ball, Burge did brilliantly to first parry Bogle's effort in a one-on-one and the rebound landed at the feet of Nathan Moriah-Welsh who was also denied by Burge who saved brilliantly for a County corner.
County came close again soon after when Bogle's half-volley from inside the area was tipped onto the post and away by Burge.
And before the first half-hour had passed, James Waite had a shot blocked out for a corner which was delivered by Adam Lewis and headed wide by Bogle.
Northampton had their first chance 10 minutes before the break, but Cobblers captain Jon Guthrie could only head a corner from the right into the ground and over Joe Day's crossbar.
Another Demetriou long throw caused havoc as James Clarke headed one wide but the final chance of the half went to the hosts as Kieron Bowie was well kept out by a low Day diving save down to his right.
Chasing the leveller, Northampton started the second half on top as half-time sub Jack Sowerby volleyed high and wide from the D while Sam Hoskins shot straight at Day from the right of the box.
Despite the early endeavour though, Northampton had a lot of the ball without troubling Day again for much of the half until the dying embers.
That was until League Two top scorer Hoskins found time and space in the box in the 90th minute to make it 1-1.
Northampton Town: Lee Burge, Aaron McGowan (Liam Cross '77), Jon Guthrie (C), Sam Sherring, Sam Hoskins, Louis Appere, Mitch Pinnock, Marc Leonard (Jack Sowerby '45), Shaun McWilliams (Max Dyche '88), Kieron Bowie (Ryan Haynes '45), Harvey Lintott (Akin Odimayo '45)
Subs not used: James Dadge, Peter Abimbola
Newport County: Joe Day, James Clarke, Priestley Farquharson, Mickey Demetriou (C), Cameron Norman, Adam Lewis, Scot Bennett, Nathan Moriah-Welsh (Declan Drysdale '89), James Waite (Aaron Wildig '67), Omar Bogle (Chanka Zimba '74), Will Evans (Thierry Nevers '67)
Subs not used: Nick Townsend, Robbie Willmott, Lewis Collins