Rovers let their advantage slip to lose 3-1 to Newport County.

Kyle Hurst gave Rovers the lead in the first half but goals from Priestley Farquharson, Aaron Wildig and Cameron Norman saw the visitors turn the game on its head.

Danny Schofield made two changes to the side that started at Stevenage four days earlier with Ro-Shaun Williams and Todd Miller coming into the XI.

Newport started the game with a flurry of energy and it took a timely block from Williams to prevent Omar Bogle from finding the target after the visitors pounced on a poor clearance.

The early threat continued with Newport skipper Mickey Demetriou powering a header over the crossbar from a corner.

But Rovers quickly grew into the game and took the lead on 12 minutes. Aidan Barlow held onto the ball superbly midway through the Newport half and squared to Hurst who lashed a shot from 25 yards that deflected beyond Joe Day in the visitors’ goal.

Both teams succeeding in denying the other space in the middle of the park, making for a scrappy contest through the majority of the first half.

Sights of goal for Newport typically came from pouncing on misplaced passes but the Exiles were unable to take advantage once claiming possession.

Rovers looked the more confident on the ball. James Brown powered through the visitors’ half, checked back onto his right foot and curled wide from the edge of the box.

Hurst in particular buoyed by his goal. He weaved through a crowd of bodies and slid in a pass for Miller, whose shot was blocked by Matthew Baker.

Newport went close to levelling before the break when Bogle brought down a knockdown from Cameron Norman, turned and drilled narrowly wide of the near post.

The second half started scrappily from a Rovers perspective, offering some encouragement to the visitors

But it was Rovers who produced the first effort of note of the half when Hurst hooked a shot wide from the edge of the box.

Newport did find the leveller on 64 minutes when Farquharson looped in a header at the far post from a Mickey Demetriou long throw.

And they continued to push. Bogle drew a save from Jonathan Mitchell at his near post with a powerful strike.

The visitors took the lead on 71 minutes. Breaking forward from half way, Bogle raced down the left and cut the ball back for Wildig who smashed in off the upright from 20 yards.

Harrison Biggins - who returned from injury off the bench - drilled narrowly wide from 30 yards as Rovers looked to get on level terms.

But it was Newport who struck next. Norman latched onto Demetriou’s long throw and poked home from close range.

Rovers pushed for a way back into the game but could not break down the stubborn Newport rearguard.

Rovers: Mitchell, Faulkner, Williams, Long, Brown (Goodman 87), Close, Ravenhill (Biggins 60), Molyneux, Hurst (Rowe 80), Barlow (Westbrooke 80), Miller. Subs not used: Bottomley, Seaman, Degruchy.

Newport: Day, Baker, Farquharson, Demetriou, Norman, Moriah-Welsh (Charsley 53), Wildig (Bowen 87), Lewis (Waite 65), Evans, Bogle, McNeill (Kavanagh 53). Subs not used: