STANLEY boss John Coleman lamented his side's failure to land the knock-out blow as they had to settle for a point in south Wales.

Newport went into the game on the back of  three straight wins and had the better of the first half.

But Stanley broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute through Sean Maguire's deflected effort and had chances to double their lead.

Shay McCartan was running the home defence ragged and had three good chances, one of which hit a post with fellow substitute Marcus Carver being ruled offside as he tapped in the rebound.

Coleman was philosophical after the final whistle but he will feel differently when he watches the game back as Carver was actually onside.

And moments later Newport broke the Reds' resistance with a superb 72nd-minute equaliser by Joe Pigott.

"If you've got a team on the ropes you've got to knock them out and we didn't do that,” said Coleman.

“On balance a draw was probably a fair result. I was really pleased with the way we defended, so we have to take positives from it.

"We got a lot of blocks in and they didn't really trouble us in the second half, which is testament to how well we defended.”

Newport boss Justin Edinburgh agreed, saying that Stanley were “as good a team as we've faced” and that “it was probably going to take a special goal like that to unlock them”.

Coleman had opted to pack the midfield, with McCartan surprisingly making way for Anthony Barry after scoring twice in midweek while Nicky Hunt's return allowed Lee Molyneux to push forward.

And Molyneux had a sight of goal as early as the sixth minute, when Luke Joyce picked him out  behind the Newport right-back and Molyneux took a couple of touches before blazing high and wide of the near post.

The Reds then put together a decent move down the right, which saw John O'Sullivan play the ball back inside for Hunt, whose cut-back was blocked for a corner.

Newport then began to get on top, with Chris Zebroski's side-footed effort easy for Jesse Joronen in the Stanley goal.

A long throw into the Reds' box then fell to Max Porter whose wayward shot was redirected goalwards by Aaron O'Connor's head and Joronen was at full stretch to tip it wide.

O'Connor also sent a 20-yard shot wide while Andy Sandell's free-kick was gathered by Joronen.

Curtis Obeng, signed on loan from Swansea last week, was putting in some dangerous crosses from the Newport right and one saw O'Connor send a looping header into Joronen's arms.

An Exiles corner was then flicked on towards centre-half Darren Jones at the far post but Molyneux charged down his shot.

After McCartan replaced Barry in first-half stoppage time, Newport had another chance just after the break as Zebroski was released down the left channel only to see his shot blocked by Atkinson, who had to pull off another well-timed challenge on Zebroski moments later.

Inspired by McCartan, Stanley then began to gain the upper hand. Sean Maguire found the in-form Ulsterman on the left and he cut inside before seeing his shot blocked for a corner.

The Reds played a short corner to Hunt, whose cross saw McCartan volley over at the far post, while Maguire led a counter-attack. Joyce got up in support and Maguire laid it back to the Stanley skipper, whose 20-yard strike was tipped over by home keeper Joe Day.

But the resulting corner eventually led to the game's opening goal. Newport cleared it as far as Dean Winnard just to the left of the centre circle and he played it forward to McCartan.

The young forward played it back inside for Joyce, who dinked the ball to Maguire in the left side of the box, and the Irish striker's low cross looped off a defender and into the Newport net.

Maguire's diagonal ball released McCartan down the left as Stanley aimed to seal victory. McCartan cut inside three defenders before firing against the inside of the near post, and although Carver was in an offside position when he tapped in the rebound, he was just onside when McCartan struck his shot.

McCartan had another chance to secure all three points following a fine run by O'Sullivan. McCartan again cut inside his man and this time his right-footed strike was parried by Day.

But Newport drew level through a fine move started and finished by Pigott. Hunt pressed him deep in the Newport half but Pigott spotted a man free on the right and switched the play.

Obeng then burst down the right before playing it back and Minshull fed Pigott 25 yards out. The 20-year-old forward, who is on loan from Charlton, then kept his body between the ball and Hunt and, on the turn, hit a powerful curling effort which arched over Joronen.

Atkinson got on the end of Joyce's late cross but Day made a comfortable save to edge Newport into the League Two play-off places while Stanley are 16th.

Stanley: Joronen 7, Hunt 7, Aldred 8, Atkinson 8, Winnard 7, O'Sullivan 7, Joyce 8, Procter 7, Barry 6 (McCartan 45, 7), Molyneux 7 (Carver 54, 7), Maguire 7. Subs: Gray, Hatfield, Mingoia, Windass, Simpson.