NEWPORT County AFC climbed into the League Two automatic promotion spots thanks to Cameron Norman’s late winner at Leyton Orient.

The Exiles were without goal machine Dom Telford and creator Finn Azaz yet took the spoils to go third thanks to an unlikely hero at Brisbane Road.

The right-back scored his first goal for the club with a finish that Telford would have applauded when unmarked at the far post from Josh Pask’s flick-on.

That made it a smash and grab just when it looked like they would settle for a hard-earned point on the road.

It was hardly a thriller in East London but a third clean sheet on the spin, especially against Orient’s set plays, ensured it would be a happy team bus on the way back to Newport.

Now they must follow up with a three points against Barrow when fans return to Rodney Parade on Saturday.

County had to cope without 19-goal striker Telford and on-song midfielder Azaz, with the reasons for absence not declared before the game.

That made a tough game tougher but the Exiles have made a big thing about competition for places driving standards up and this was a test of that declaration.

They undeniably missed the guile of Azaz, especially on the counter, while they lacked a threat in behind until a change was made on the hour.

Into the XI came Robbie Willmott, one of the stars of the season, in midfield, and targetman Alex Fisher getting the nod up front in what was most definitely not a like-for-like change.

Josh Pask recovered from the knee injury suffered at Scunthorpe to keep his spot next to Mickey Demetriou at the heart of defence while Lewis Collins was back from illness to provide an attacking option on the bench.

Orient, who started the evening 13th because of their problems turning draws into wins, included targetman Harry Smith.

The physical forward gave County a torrid time when scoring a double in the September meeting between the sides in Newport.

South Wales Argus:

Regardless of absentees, this was always going to be a very different game to the one at struggling Scunthorpe on Saturday when County fired in 25 shots.

There wasn’t much action of note with the first shot coming in the 15th minute when Smith lashed well over from distance after a loose Scot Bennett pass.

County weren’t as slick and accurate with the ball as they would have liked but had done a good job at settling into the game on the road, with Liverpool loanee Jake Cain making an accomplished start.

Neither ‘keeper had been called into action – although County’s Nick Townsend was relieved to see a blocked clearance go well wide – and it remained (very) 0-0 after half an hour.

The Exiles then had their first effort on goal when Willmott whipped in a free-kick from the left and Fisher got in front of his man only from his flicked header from 12 yards out to be acrobatically tipped over by Lawrence Vigouroux.

The ‘keeper then had a far more routine save to make when left-back Ryan Haynes tried his luck from distance.

Townsend had to use his gloves for the first time in the 40th minute to claim a corner – where Smith had caused trouble in Newport – and that would probably have made the cut for a first-half highlight such was the paucity of action.

The final moment came in the solitary minute of added time when the Exiles were caught napping at a throw-in but Jordan Brown lashed well wide from the edge of the box.

The second half continued in the same nip-and-tuck fashion with substitute Paul Smyth forcing captain Demetriou into a foul on the counter, a foul he had to commit approaching the hour.

Orient were applying some pressure from set plays and Rowberry responded by looking to offer an outlet with the pace of Collins for Fisher in the final third.

The Exiles swiftly had a chance on the break but wasted it; Courtney Baker-Richardson’s touch took him wide from Ollie Cooper’s through ball and his attempted cross to the substitute was blocked.

Orient were the team in the ascendancy and Smith rose high to nod across the goal in the 75th minute only for Pask to be perfectly positioned to clear.

Physical Smith caused County problems in Newport but it was elusive Smyth looking the more likely at Brisbane Road as the clock hit 80.

Yet the man to break the deadlock was the unlikely Norman, who finished comprehensively at the far post from a flick-on.

County had four minutes to kill and brought on Priestley Farquharson and Matty Dolan to finish the job.

Five minutes were added on but the Exiles did a professional job in one of their finest wins of the campaign.

Orient: Vigouroux, Wood, Smith, Kemp, Khan, Mitchell, Drinan, Beckles (captain), Ogie, Kyprianou, Brown.
Substitutes: Sargeant, Happe, Thompson, Smyth, Moss, Sotiriou, Young

County: Townsend, Norman, Demetriou (captain), Pask, Haynes, Bennett, Willmott (Farquharson 86), Cain (Dolan 89), Cooper, Fisher (Collins 59), Baker-Richardson.
Substitutes: Day, Clarke, Lewis, Waite.
Goal: Norman

Referee: James Bell