Newport Count were defeated 1-0 at Rodney Parade by Mansfield Town, with an early second half-goal from George Maris settling the tie.
A hard-fought game at Rodney Parade saw league leaders Mansfield Town take all three points thanks to an early second-half goal from George Maris.
Graham Coughlan made one change from Tuesday's 4-1 win against Harrogate, with Seb Palmer-Houlden returning to the starting eleven ahead of Offrande Zanzala. Harry Charsley also made a welcome return to the side, starting on the bench after a brief injury.
The visitors made two changes from their 5-1 win over Salford on Tuesday. Former exile Aaron Lewis was dropped to the bench along with experienced midfielder Stephen Quinn, with Hiram Boateng and Tom Nichols replacing them.
The opening ten minutes produced very few chances, with a heated battle taking place in the middle of the field. The best opportunity was a headed effort from George Maris, which went high over the bar.
Our first notable effort of the game came in the 16th minute. After some battling play on the edge of the area, Bryn Morris fired a deflected shot wide and out for a corner. Will Evans would meet the resulting set-piece at the back post, but it was deflected wide by Baily Cargill.
Nick Townsend was called into action in the 22nd minute. Davis Keillor Dunn broke through the middle, but pressure from Kyle Jameson forced him into a long shot, with Townsend getting down low to stop it.
The keeper would be called into action again five minutes later. A spell of sustained pressure saw Hiram Boateng play the ball into Ollie Clarke in the area, with the midfielder taking a touch and firing on the turn, only to be stopped by Towsend down to his left.
The rest of the half turned into a battle of attrition in the middle of the park, with both sides restricted to half-chances. Neither said was able to muster a clear shot on target, with both sides heading to the changing room goalless.
Half time
The second half got off to a much livelier start. Seb Palmer-Houlden had the ball in the box in the opening minute, with Aden Flint throwing himself in the way of his effort. Aaron Wildig then whipped the ball straight back in, nearly catching Christy Pym out at the back-post, with the keeper tipping it just wide.
The visitors responded quickly, having their best chance of the game four minutes later. A ball from Maris found Boateng in space in the area, but the striker was unable to keep his header down.
The Stags would break the deadlock two minutes later. Baily Cargill broke down the left, pulling the ball back from the by-line to George Marris, who met it at the near post, slotting it past Townsend.
Coughlan went to his bench in the 60th minute, replacing Kyle Jameson, James Clarke, and Seb Palmer-Houlden with Offrande Zanzala, Harry Charsley, and Declan Drysdale as we went in search of an equaliser.
Mansfield came close to doubling their lead in the 67th minute. Top-scorer Davis Keilor Dunn found space on the edge of the area, but he put his effort narrowly wide of the post. They would come close again in the 70th minute, with substitute Lucas Akins pulling the ball back for Jordan Browery, only for the striker to knock the ball wide.
The visitors remained resilient despite some pressure in the final twenty minutes. Will Evans saw a shot fly over the bar from outside the area, but despite some dangerous balls coming into the Mansfield box, including a corner which caused confusion in the six-yard box right at the death, we were unable to convert these into clear-cut chances.
Attention will now turn to next Saturday when we make the journey to Edgeley Park to take on Stockport County.
Newport County: Townsend, Jameson (Zanzala 60'), Clarke (Drysdale 60'), Baker, Lewis, Payne (Bright 73'), Bennett (C), Wildig (Jephcott 73'), Morris, Evans, Palmer-Houlden (Charsley 60').
Substitutes: Maxted, Drysdale, Waite, Charsley, Zanzala, Jephcott, Bright.
Mansfield Town: Pym, Cargill, Clarke (Bowery 60'), Maris (Lewis 70'), Flint (C), Nichols (Akins 60'), Williams, Brunt, Reed, Keillor-Dunn, Boateng (Quinn 60').
Substitutes: McLaughlin, Akins, Bowery, Gale, Flinders, Lewis, Quinn.
Attendance: 4833 (615 away)