A LATE strike from Kevin Ellison gave the Shrimps a battling point at Rodney Parade.

The Exiles led for much of their League Two clash with Morecambe thanks to a poacher’s strike inside a minute by Padraig Amond against his former side.

But the Shrimps struck after 77 minutes when Tyler Forbes slipped and gifted a run-in to sub Ellison, so often the scourge of Newport.

Morecambe made two changes to the side that lost to Mansfield in midweek with Aaron Wildig and Rhys Oates recalled into the side in place of Ellison and Ben Hedley.

The two newcomers had failed to touch the ball before the home side took the lead with less than 30 seconds on the clock.

It took some last ditch defending to nip the ball away from Jamille Matt but the ball fell to Robbie Willmott on the right and his cross/shot was struck towards goal.

Keeper Barry Roche made a smart save but the ball ballooned in the air and striker Amond was on hand to nod home before 30 seconds had been played.

County were looking lively going forward with Dan Butler having joy down the left and the trio of Amond, Matt and Semenyo stretching the Morecambe defence.

It took a smart save from Roche after seven minutes to keep it at 1-0 when Semenyo rose unmarked in the area but County weren’t having things all their own way at the other end, with visiting forward Vadaine Oliver proving a handful.

He provided the pass from which the visitors really should have levelled after 19 minutes with Rhys Oates played through the middle only to be denied by a fine Joe Day stop, the keeper coming off his line and using his feet.

The Shrimps were causing a few problems – with the loss through injury of Bennett, and subsequent reshuffle, not helping the Exiles – and it took a fine intervention by Mark O’Brien on the penalty spot to quell a dangerous attack down the threatening right as he stopped Zak Mills’s cross from reaching Liam Mandeville.

County were inches away from extending their lead after 35 minutes when the fit-again Matty Dolan won the right to have a crack from a central free-kick, 30 metres out. He went for the right post but was just off target, much to the relief of the scrambling Roche.

The Exiles finished the half on top with Butler warming the hands of Roche with a sharp shot from the left and then having a penalty appeal correctly waved away after hammering a cross into a hand from close-range.

County were forced into another change at the break when O’Brien, who had been stretching at times during the first half, didn’t come out for the second half.

The Exiles were a little tentative at the back but Day was not tested, although on the hour he was a little worried when Jordan Cranston tried his luck from very far out, the powerful left-footed drive going a yard or so over when most were expecting a cross.

County had a series of corners and were agonisingly close to earning some breathing space only for Tyler Forbes’ drive to be deflected just past the left post.

The Exiles were watching the clock tick down but then they were pegged back after 77 minutes when they got caught three versus three at the back and then Vadaine Oliver played the ball inside Forbes who lunged for the ball but allowed Ellison to run clear and produce a superb finish for his first goal of the season.

County: J Day, D Pipe, S Bennett (T Forbes 20), M O'Brien (C Pring 45), M Demetriou (captain), D Butler, R Willmott, M Dolan, A Semenyo, J Matt (M Harris 78), P Amond.
Booked: M O’Brien, J Matt

Morecambe: B Roche, Z Mills, J Varney, S Lavelle, L Conlan, L Mandeville ( A Kenyon 81), A Wildig, J Cranston (K Ellison 70), R Oates (J Oswell 70), A Leitch-Smith, V Oliver.
Booked: K Ellison