NEWPORT County AFC suffered more Boxing Day blues as their miserable League Two form continued at Exeter City.

Lee Martin scored the only goal of the game in the 14th minute to give the hosts all three points on a dreary afternoon in Devon.

That extended County’s winless streak to eight league fixtures as they lost for a sixth time in seven games.

And it was a fifth successive loss on Boxing Day for the Exiles.

It means Michael Flynn’s men slip further down the table to 14th and proved to be another disappointing day out for the large travelling support, who will hope for better in the upcoming home games against Leyton Orient and Cheltenham Town.

Flynn made two changes from last Saturday’s defeat at Morecambe with Mark O’Brien and George Nurse making way for Scot Bennett and Ryan Inniss.

Bennett started at the base of a midfield diamond against his former club and he was at the heart of the action as Exeter took the lead in the 14th minute.

He did brilliantly to block a goalbound effort from Jake Taylor but the ball fell invitingly for Lee Martin to smash it into the bottom corner from around 12 yards out.

Ryan Bowman then saw a shot deflected behind by Taylor Maloney and Nick Townsend saved impressively in first-half stoppage time to deny Martin and Exeter a second.

County struggled to create much on a mud-pocked pitch but Josh Sheehan had a couple of half chances, poking one wide from 20 yards and slashing wildly at another.

Maloney registered the one shot on target in the first half two minutes before the break, but his effort lacked the power to trouble home goalkeeper Jonny Maxted.

Flynn opted to make a double substitution for the start of the second half as Tristan Abrahams and Nurse replaced Padraig Amond and Maloney.

The changes had little immediate impact as the hosts continued to create the better chances.

Townsend saved comfortably from Pierce Sweeney and then gathered a free-kick from the impressive Randall Williams.

The home fans tried to convince the officials that the Exiles goalkeeper had carried the ball over the line but to no avail.

Taylor then saw a shot blocked by Joss Labadie, while Nurse’s low shot was comfortably saved by Maxted at the other end.

Lewis Collins replaced Danny McNamara in a last throw of the dice from Flynn 12 minutes from time.

The teenager was stationed on the right of midfield but he was forced into defensive duties almost straightaway and did superbly to halt a breakaway goal from Bowman.

Collins then went close at the other end, firing just wide from 25 yards with just three minutes left on the clock.

And he then created the best chance of the match with a tempting cross from the right in the second minute of stoppage time, only for Jamille Matt to head over under pressure and condemn County to another defeat.

County: Townsend; McNamara (Collins, 78), Inniss, Demetriou, Haynes; Sheehan, Bennett, Labadie, Maloney (Nurse, 46); Amond (Abrahams, 46), Matt

Subs not used: King, Jefferies, Dolan, Poleon

Booked: Labadie, Abrahams, Sheehan, Matt

Referee: Brett Huxtable

Attendance: 5,968 (521 County)

Argus star man: Bennett