Newport manager Graham Coughlan admitted after a “car-crash” defeat to Accrington that his side have run out of steam.
Bryn Morris scored a stunning long-range opener but Alex Henderson headed in Jack Nolan’s cross on 22 minutes and Tommy Leigh netted Stanley’s second goal just 20 seconds after half-time.
Joe Pritchard wrapped up the three points with a tap-in on a miserable night for County, who saw a goal from substitute Luke Jephcott ruled out for offside late on before Adam Lewis was shown a straight red card in stoppage time for a full-blooded tackle on Dan Martin that led to a touchline fracas.
“Some of the things that we are doing is car-crash material,” said Coughlan, who has now overseen five successive defeats in League Two – the Exiles’ worst run for seven years.
“Some of the players are showing their levels, and that’s the disappointing thing.
“We have taken them to a level and to where we wanted to get them but some of them just can’t maintain it and stay at that level.
“We have three games left and we have to limp over the finish line, which is killing me. All the hard work we have put in and we are getting displays like that and players playing the way that they are playing.
“At the end of the season we will sit down and have a conversation with a number of them and see where we go because you can’t perform the way that they are performing and expect to be rewarded.
“Thank God we have got to 55 points because this lot have run out of steam and run out of ideas, physically and mentally.”
John Doolan paid tribute to his players’ character and intensity after Accrington’s fightback.
“I thought we started well, even though we gifted them a goal. We got the equaliser, which was a great goal, and then we took control,” said Doolan, who celebrated a second win in his seventh game since replacing John Coleman in the Accrington hotseat last month.
“Tommy Leigh and Shaun Whalley had chances and we could have gone in ahead. Thankfully we got two good goals after the break, and we could have had more goals.
“The lads responded well. We’ve got some character in this team and the spirit is fantastic.
“I’ve asked the lads not to come off it and they didn’t. This is the intensity I want. Everyone put a shift in.
“We’re not going to come off it; we want to finish the season strong to go into pre-season and next year.”
Man United could be without Toone until new year, says Skinner
Marc Skinner revealed that Manchester United could be without midfielder Ella Toone until the new year after she picked up a calf injury in training.
Toone has featured in five games in the Women's Super League this season, but is yet to register a goal or an assist so far this term.
The 25-year-old has missed United's last two games and was not selected in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for their upcoming friendlies against the United States and Switzerland.
She had previously appeared in a staggering 96 straight matches before missing United's WSL showdown with Leicester City last weekend.
But ahead of the Red Devils' meeting with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, Skinner confirmed they would be without Toone for not only that game, but for the foreseeable future.
"We have three games [after the international break and before Christmas]. There's always the hope, but I think you balance and you go, 'right, if we can get her back, we get her back'," Skinner said.
"But we're just not going to rush her in this moment because it's a calf injury, it's your running mechanism. If we injure the running mechanism, it takes longer.
"So ideally we'd like her back for those games afterwards.
"The projection is she misses this game [Chelsea], she misses the international window, probably misses the first game after that, and then we'll see from there.
"But because it is such a short block of only three games, we'll assess whether it's worth that or actually resetting to come back after Christmas."
Al-Nassr 1-2 Al-Qadsiah: Aubameyang winner ends hosts' unbeaten run
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hit the winner as Al-Qadsiah inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League on Friday to end their 21-match unbeaten run.
Cristiano Ronaldo's seventh league goal of the season put Al-Nassr ahead, but Al-Qadsiah replied swiftly through Julian Quinones before Aubameyang struck the decisive blow.
The hosts drew first blood in the 32nd minute when Ronaldo slotted home after Al-Qadsiah goalkeeper Koen Casteels had spilled a routine catch from Talisca's cross.
However, Al-Nassr's joy was short-lived when Quinones brought down Turki Al Ammar's delivery five minutes later, with the Mexcio winger firing past Bento to level the scores.
Quinones also played a part in the winning goal after brilliantly turning the ball back across goal from Nahitan Nandez's search pass to tee up a simple finish for Aubameyang.
The result sees Al-Qadsiah move level on 22 points with third-placed Al-Nassr, with Al-Shabab also level with them.
Stefano Pioli's Al-Nassr are six points adrift of defending champions and leaders Al-Hilal, who also have a game in hand.
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