Stevenage were again denied points with another late goal robbing them of the win at Newport County.

Early goals in each half, one from Luke Norris and the other from Jordan Roberts, twice put Stevenage in front.

But Omar Bogle equalised two minutes before half-time and then again with six minutes remaining, this one from the penalty spot, leaving the game finished at 2-2.

They hadn't played well in the first half but the second period looked to be going perfectly until the late decision.

And having led twice, it was tough to swallow, even if they remained second in the table.

There were three changes form the loss to Bradford City.

Luther James-Wildin missed out after that bang to the hip at the Lamex, Kane Smith his replacement, while Jonathan Tomkinson and Norris were the others to come in.

Jake Forster-Caskey and Jamie Reid were both on the bench.

It looked defensive on paper but it did give the wing-backs licence to get forward with Michael Bostwick shoring up any holes just in front of the back three.

It seemed to be a masterstroke as it was one of the Stevenage wide defenders that created the opening goal in a second over two minutes.

Smith was stood 15 yards in from the touchline and played a delicious ball with the outside of his right boot, curling it in towards goal and away from the defenders.

It missed them but found Norris and after taking a touch, he fired it low beyond Nick Townsend.

And when Max Clark headed just wide four minutes later, it looked like it was going to be a good evening for the visiting supporters.

And then it went wrong. Boro barely threatened again for the remainder of the half and Newport looked rampant.

That they didn't score until two minutes from half-time was the biggest surprise and again it was an avoidable goal for Boro, something that was not needed after Bradford.

A high punt forward attracted Carl Piergianni, peerless until that point, to the ball.

He didn't get there and the flick-on found Bogle, unmarked in the space the Boro skipper had vacated. He did the rest.

Aside from the sometimes frantic defending there were other concerns for Boro.

Jokull Andresson had three minutes of treatment after a mid-air collision with Priestley Farquharson, prompting Adam Przybek to join the subs out warming-up.

More pressing was a booking to Norris on 12 minutes and it needed the skipper's intervention to calm a situation that could have escalated into a second yellow.

So it was no surprise to see his number come up at the start of the second half, or that Prybek came on for Andresson.

But it was a sign of how poor the half had been that there were another two changes, Josh March and Tomkinson departing for Danny Rose and Forster-Caskey.

And the changes had an effect, a hugely positive one.

With Bostwick now in the back three, it added extra options in midfield and a rejuvented front two.

And after forcing a couple of corners, a long throw from Smith flicked on by Piergianni and Sweeney was volleyed home by Roberts.

That wasn't the cue for a glut of chances but what it did signal was a much more solid looking Stevenage.

The shape and the balance looked so much better and suddenly where Newport were finding holes before, they were now running into purple shirts.

There were still slight moments of panic. Przybek's desire to impress evident by his coming for a ball he was never going to get, and running straight into Sweeney.

But those were less frequent and much less worrying, until at least Newport made their final three changes with 11 minutes to go.

By now their urgency was increasing and the crowd were getting louder, if a little frustrated.

And yet it still didn't look like they would get anything, until they were awarded a penalty.

Bostwick's touch and block sent the ball loose but it looked like the veteran had won the next challenge.

The referee said he hadn't and there was a booking too for the Boro 18.

Bogle did what he does best and put it to Przybek's left, the keeper going the other way, to rob Boro of the three points.

 

Stevenage: Andresson (Przybek 46), Clark, Piergianni, Sweeney, Norris (Jamie Reid 46), Roberts (Taylor 90+3), Smith, Gilbey, Bostwick, Tomkinson (Forster-Caskey 46), March (Rose 46).

Subs (not used): Horgan, Josh Reid.

Goals: Norris 3, Roberts 50

Booked: Norris 12, Bostwick 84

 

Newport County: Townsend, Norman, Clarke (Wildig 79), Farquharson, Bogle, Aaron Lewis (Zanzala 70), Kavanagh (Evans 70), Bennett (Baker 79), Charsley (McNeill 79), Adam Lewis, Demetriou.

Subs (not used): Day, Moriah-Welsh.

Goals: Bogle 43, (pen) 84

Booked: Baker 86

 

HT: Newport County 1 Stevenage 1

Referee: Ollie Yates (Staffordshire)

Attendance: 3,486 (105 from Stevenage)