YORK City scored their first away goals of the season to roll over a Newport team reeling from the loss of lottery-winning benefactor Les Scadding.

Even though the Minstermen’s hosts were bottom of the table, without a win this season and embroiled in off-the-pitch turmoil, that should not detract from a professional display by Russ Wilcox’s side.

After all, despite their travails, Newport have not suffered a heavier defeat all season and have only been beaten by the odd goal since losing by the same margin on the opening day at Cambridge.

With their manager stressing the need to shoot on sight following a wasteful afternoon in front of goal during the 2-1 home defeat to Mansfield a week earlier, City’s players certainly responded with six of their seven attempts hitting the target as James Berrett, Reece Thompson and Vadaine Oliver all got on the scoresheet.

Those concerns over the potency of the team can now be viewed in the context of three-goal pair Berrett and Thompson’s current standing amongst League Two’s top-ten marksmen.

Oliver’s 59th-minute effort, meanwhile, will lessen the scrutiny he was under as the team’s number nine following a run of 13 games without a goal in City colours including pre-season.

At the other end of the pitch, Scott Flinders was only required to make one save all afternoon on 89 minutes, following a commanding defensive display marshalled superbly by Dave Winfield, who was standing in as skipper for the injured Russell Penn.

That accolade in itself highlighted how Winfield’s status with the Minstermen has been transformed from a player who Wilcox farmed out on loan last term to the man he now turns to for armband duty when the club captain is unavailable.

Berrett had earlier threatened after ten minutes when his curling 20-yard free-kick was parried away by home keeper Joe Day.

In response, Aaron Hayden headed over from a Mark Byrne free-kick and Yan Klukowski steered a shot wide of Flinders’ right-hand post.

Keith Lowe also headed into the hands of Day following a Luke Summerfield corner and a similar effort by Oliver after another flag kick from the City midfielder was deflected off target.

Ex-Yeovil midfielder Berrett made the breakthrough, though, on 35 minutes.

Seizing on Hayden’s poor ball out of defence, Berrett punished the County defender clinically by driving forward to the edge of the box and firing a perfectly-placed shot into Day’s bottom right-hand corner.

The goal was City’s first on the road since Brad Halliday’s late leveller at Portsmouth on the final day of last season and was cheered enthusiastically by the loyal travelling army of 143 fans – some of whom had started the long journey to South Wales at 4am for the early kick-off.

Byrne’s 20-yard half-volley, that was always drifting wide, brought an end to first-half proceedings.

The outcome was then decided by two goals in four second-half minutes.

First, former Newport loan signing David Tutonda went down under a challenge by Byrne on the left flank and Summerfield’s inviting, inswinging free-kick was guided into Day’s bottom left-hand corner with the glance of an unmarked Thompson’s head.

It was his third goal for City, with all of them coming from inside the six-yard box – a happy knack for any striker, let alone one still less than a month into his professional career.

Thompson then turned architect, haring through the left channel before pulling the ball back for Berrett, whose side-footed ten-yard attempt was parried out by Day to a stretching Oliver and he went on to gleefully find an unguarded net with the aid of the crossbar from three yards out.

With the result beyond doubt, home defender Danny Holmes went on to get himself senselessly sent off following a sliding late challenge on Eddie Nolan that earned him his second caution in eight minutes.

That will have infuriated home boss Terry Butcher, whose ten men at least displayed a little spirit before the final whistle with winger Seth Nana Twumasi firing over from the edge of the box and Flinders getting a strong arm to Lenell John-Lewis’s low and firmly-struck ten-yard shot.

The final whistle, though, ended a series of unhappy visits to Newport for City, who had lost their last four matches in Gwent.

It also underlined Wilcox’s ability to engineer victories against the division’s lesser lights – a habit that steered the club away from trouble last term.

City

Scott Flinders: 8 – did what he had to do with assured reliability and stayed alert to make late save

Keith Lowe: 7 – distribution out of defence was a little wayward but covered well at the back

Dave Winfield: 9 – blocked and headed everything in a whole-hearted display

Femi Ilesanmi: 8 – never gave a quarter with very little trouble created down his flank

Marvin McCoy: 7 – put a few crosses into the opposition box and worked hard

Eddie Nolan: 7 – grew into the game after a few stray passes early on

Luke Summerfield: 7 – displayed his set-play prowess again for second goal

STAR MAN James Berrett: 9 – driving force from midfield who set the ball rolling when game was still in the balance

David Tutonda: 7 – could have attacked more but helped Ilesanmi stay tight defensively

Vadaine Oliver: 7 – unlucky not to net in first half before taking his chance in second

Reece Thompson: 8 – scored again and ran the channels to good affect

Subs: Emile Sinclair (for Oliver, 74) Josh Carson (for Tutonda, 78), Callum Rzonca (for Thompson, 87).

Subs not used: Michael Ingham, John McCombe, Ben Godfrey.

Newport

Joe Day, Danny Holmes, Aaron Hayden, Matt Partridge, Scott Barrow, Seth Nana Twumasi, Mark Byrne, Yan Klukowski (Tom Owen-Evans, 63), Aaron Collins, Lenell John-Lewis, Scott Boden (Zak Ansah, 63). Subs not used: Rhys Taylor, Josh Laurent, Kieran Parselle, Dafydd Jones, Liam Angel.

Newport star man: Twumasi – displayed strength and skill at times

Referee: Trevor Kettle. Rating: 7/10 – not swayed by partisan home crowd

Booked: Partridge 25, Barrow 61, Oliver 62, Holmes 69, Collins 78, Berrett 90+1.

Sent off: Holmes 77.

Attendance: 2,459 (143 from City).

Shots on target: Newport 1, City 6

Shots off target: Newport 8, City 1

Corners: Newport 5, City 6

Fouls conceded: Newport 16, City 11

Offsides: Newport 1, City 4