Shaun Whalley grabbed his first goal of the season but Accrington Stanley suffered a 3-1 loss at Newport County in League Two on Saturday.

Whalley scored a superb solo goal to equalise on 38 minutes and was unlucky not to score another, while Jimmy Knowles rattled the bar.

However, County were clinical and scored twice after the break to take the three points.

John Doolan selected the starting XI from the previous Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Harrogate, although teenage goalkeeper James Rogerson came on to the bench.

Stanley started well but, in one of their first attacks, Newport took the lead through an own goal on 12 minutes.

A cross from Anthony Glennon found Shane McLoughlin in the area, his low shot hit the grounded Seb Quirk to divert the ball into the net.

Stanley almost equalised on 16 minutes when a fierce drive from the edge of the area from Whalley was deflected over.

County’s Bobby Kamwa charged down the left but his shot was off-target, while Knowles also fired wide.

The Reds continued to be on the front foot and equalised on 38 minutes when Whalley ran onto Donald Love’s long ball forward, raced into the area, made space for himself and lashed the ball into the back of the net.

The visitors continued to press with Quirk’s cross just too close to keeper Nick Townsend, while Tyler Walton had a strike from a tight angle just kept out of the near post.

Love’s strike was tipped over by Townsend on the stroke of half time.

Bolton loanee Nelson Khumbeni came on for the second half, while Newport forced a number of early corners without testing Michael Kelly.

Stanley came so close to taking the lead when Whalley got the ball in the six-yard box and had the goalkeeper beaten, but a last-ditch sliding clearance from Matt Baker denied the visitors the lead.

Newport then surged ahead when Whalley was judged to have fouled Kamara just inside the area on 52 minutes and former Reds loan striker, Courtney Baker-Richardson, slotted home the penalty, although Kelly guessed the right way.

Stanley were desperately unlucky not to get back in it on 54 minutes when a Jimmy Knowles 40-yard free-kick cannoned back off the bar and, from the resulting corner, Farrend Rawson agonisingly headed wide.

Baker-Richardson headed over, while Kamara mishit a shot in a great position with the game was wide open.

Newport scored a third on 63 minutes when former Morecambe man Aaron Wildig pounced on a loose ball in the area and volleyed into the top corner.

Stanley still created chances and a Whalley volley was tipped over by Townsend on 83 minutes.

But the Reds could not set up a grandstand finish.

Stanley: Kelly, O’Brien (Khumbeni), Rawson, Awe, Quirk, Love, Conneely (Coyle), Whalley, Knowles (J Woods), Walton (B Woods), Mooney. Subs not used: Rogerson, Henderson, Martin.

Attendance: 4,437.