NEWPORT County AFC bounced back from Saturday’s defeat at Leyton Orient to beat Macclesfield Town and record their third win in four games in League Two.

Joss Labadie’s first-half header was enough to earn all three points against the struggling Silkmen and it meant they lifted some silverware as the winners of Paddy Power’s ‘Unsponsored Derby’ on a chilly night at Rodney Parade.

Much more importantly, the victory keeps Michael Flynn’s men in touch with the top seven after the disappointing defeat at Brisbane Road.

They remain in 11th place in the table but are now eight points below the play-off places with three games in hand on many of the teams above them.

Flynn made three changes from the weekend as captain Labadie, January signing Jordan Green and top scorer Padraig Amond replaced Mark O’Brien, Matty Dolan and Tristan Abrahams.

Scot Bennett dropped into the back four to replace O’Brien, who failed to recover from an injury picked up against Orient.

Green, making the first start of his second loan spell at Rodney Parade, was stationed on the right of the midfield four and Robbie Willmott on the left.

Both wide men were tasked with supplying the ammunition for strikers Amond and Jamille Matt and they combined to break the deadlock, but it was Labadie who provided the finishing touch.

Green looks much more mature than during his 2016 loan and he was a livewire all night for the Exiles.

He beat his man on the right and picked out Willmott, who flicked the ball up for Labadie to head into the bottom corner on 34 minutes.

It was a deserved lead for Flynn’s men, who went close through headers from Labadie and Bennett before the opener.

The captain almost doubled the lead four minutes after the goal after more great trickery from Green but his stinging effort hit the outside of the post.

Amond could also have made it 2-0 before the break after he was sent through the middle thanks to a brave block by Ryan Haynes, but his fierce shot was palmed away by visiting goalkeeper Jonathan Mitchell.

But Macclesfield still posed a threat on occasions and Tom King had to be alert to deny Arthur Gnahoua early on and Joe Ironside in first-half stoppage time.

South Wales Argus:

They were warnings for County that the contest was far from settled and the hosts started the second period determined to put the game to bed.

Matt found himself in a one-on-one with the keeper three minutes after the restart and his stabbed effort was saved by Mitchell’s legs.

Matt then teed up Labadie again just before the hour, only for Mitchell to tip his curling effort over the bar.

And Amond headed down for Green on the edge of the area but he dragged his shot wide.

Green then took on three men down the right before crossing for Amond in the middle but the Irishman couldn’t get enough on the header.

That proved to be Green’s final contribution as he was withdrawn to a standing ovation and replaced by Billy Waters, another new arrival, with 17 minutes remaining.

At 1-0, it was nervier than it should have been for the hosts in the closing stages – a familiar worry this season – but they restricted the visitors to very few opportunities after the break and held on to take the points and complete a successful first month of the new year.

County: King; Baker, Bennett, Demetriou, Haynes; Willmott, Labadie, Sheehan; Green (Waters, 73), Matt, Amond (Abrahams, 86)

Subs not used: Townsend, Howkins, Nurse, Gorman, Dolan

Referee: Graham Salisbury

Attendance: 3,354 (48 Macclesfield)

Argus star man: Green