Newport County were edged out 3-2 by Port Vale in a hard-fought encounter at Vale Park on Saturday afternoon.
Bobby Kamwa and Cameron Evans were on target for the Exiles, but they were unable to hold onto their advantage, with a late red card for Kyle Jameson adding to their frustrations as they saw out the final eight minutes with 10 men.
Head coach Nelson Jardim made three changes to the starting line-up from the previous defeat to Wimbledon, with Oliver Greaves, Cameron Evans, and new signing David Ajiboye all coming into the starting eleven.
Another new arrival, Tom Davies, made his debut for the club off the bench.
The match began nervously for both sides. Newport keeper Jacob Carney was caught in possession early on, giving Port Vale an opportunity that they couldn’t take.
At the other end, Kieron Evans bent a shot towards goal from the edge of the box, only for it to strike the post, rebound off goalkeeper Jack Amos, and roll out of play.
Newport then took the lead in the 13th minute, with Kamwa capitalising on a well-delivered corner. The winger controlled the ball expertly before flicking it up to head home and give the Exiles the advantage.
However, Port Vale responded quickly. After a spell of pressure, they equalised in the 22nd minute when Ben Garrity powered a header past Carney from a Jaheim Headley corner.
Headley, who had provided the assist, had a chance to give Port Vale the lead shortly after, but his shot was tame and easily saved by Carney.
Newport, however, were back in front in the 30th minute, when Cameron Evans lost his marker to meet Oliver Greaves' cross with a perfect header into the bottom right corner of the net.
Ajiboye showed some skill on the right wing, turning away from a defender to win a free kick, and from the subsequent set-piece, Kieron Evans went close with a strike that narrowly cleared the top corner.
At the other end, Carney made an excellent save to deny Headley’s powerful effort, keeping Newport in front. Just before the break, Ajiboye cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot, which was saved well by Amos down low.
In the second half, Newport had an early chance to extend their lead when Kai Whitmore drove into the box, but his shot was blocked by Port Vale's Nathan Smith. The Valiants equalised once again in the 60th minute, with substitute Jayden Stockley poking home from close range after a knockdown in the six-yard box, making it 2-2.
The game became more tactical as both sides struggled to break each other down in the following ten minutes. Jardim made two attacking changes, bringing on Kyle Hudlin and Michael Spellman for Ajiboye and Whitmore in an attempt to inject some fresh energy into the Newport attack.
Port Vale then took the lead in the 77th minute when Headley’s left-footed strike from outside the box found the bottom right corner of the net, putting the home side 3-2 up.
A few minutes later, Carney made another brilliant save to deny Smith’s header, stretching fully to turn the ball away and keep Newport in the game.
With just three minutes left, Jameson was shown a second yellow card and a subsequent red for a late challenge, reducing the Exiles to 10 men for the final moments.
Despite a valiant effort to find an equaliser, Newport couldn’t break down the Port Vale defence, and the match finished 3-2.
The Exiles will look to bounce back when they return to action at Rodney Parade on Friday evening, as they host Swindon Town at 7:45pm.
Newport County: Carney, C. Evans, Baker, Brennan (Jameson 39’), McLoughlin, Antwi, Whitmore (Spellman 71’), Evans, Kamwa, Ajiboye (Hudlin 71’), Greaves (Davies 84’).
Substitutes: Webb, Clarke, Bony.
Port Vale: Amos, John, Smith, Hart (Sang 55’), Clark, Garrity, Lowe (Harper 46’), Croasdale, Headley, Hackford (Stockley 46’), Tolaj (Curtis 91’).
Substitutes: Broome, Heneghan, Umolu.