Kai Whitmore was the author of doom as his Exiles wrote a gripping pre-Halloween tale deep in Charlotte Bronte country.
The Victorian writer might have been enthralled as the former Haverfordwest schemer produced a perfect pattern, setting up strikes for Courtney Baker-Richardson and Cameron Antwi with an own goal from Town destroyer Bobby Faulkner sandwiched in-between the strikes either side of the break.
It was a third successive win in League and Cup on the road for superb Newport who bravely made light of a clutch of players hit by knocks and not available.
County remain rock bottom of League Two as rivals won around them, but this victory will taste sweet as David Hughes; troops observed new strategy to a man.
The injury-hit visitors, with 11 first-team men side-lined with various concerns re-shuffled their pack for the trip to north Yorkshire. There was a return for the borrowed Swansea linkman Ben Lloyd in a midfield diamond that saw on-loan Leicester schemer Sammy Braybrooke patrolling in front of a back four that included Cameron Evans – Whitmore playing behind a warhead of Gerard Garner and Baker-Richardson, recent signing, defender Akin Odimayo on the bench.
The Sulpherites, had lost three successive matches coming into the clash, and manager Simon Weaver performed surgery on a back four that had shipped eight goals in the aforementioned set-backs – Zico Asare, and Tom Bradbury restored, as was veteran stopper Mark Oxley.
Strong autumn sunshine illuminated this the picture-box Roman spa town at kick off for an encounter that carried increasing importance for County after fellow strugglers Cheltenham’s one-nil home morning victory over table leaders Walsall.
Yet there was a real swagger about the Exiles in the early exchanges as their midfield dominance from a diamond structure combined with a high press was ruffling the Sulpherites. And the Men of Gwent were ahead on 11 minutes.
Town’s pressurised centre backs fouled Garner in a centralised area. Gloveman Oxley could only palm Sammy Braybrooke’s low free kick to his right, Whitmore angled pullback powered into the net by the loitering Baker-Richardson, the tall striker’s second goal of the campaign.
There was a scare as Jack Muldoon narrowly nudged Stephen Duke-McKenna’s approach inches wide. But the Exiles could have doubled their lead in the 28th minute. The silky Whitmore threaded a ball into the box, Cameron Antwi’s toe poke smothered by the advancing Oxley.
It had been an impressive showing from Newport and the points were effectively sealed within three minutes of the restart with Whitmore the crucial executer of battered Harrogate.
On 48 minutes the ex-League of Wales midfielder’s menacing raking pass was bundled into his own net by the horrified Faulkner and skies were soon to darken further for the Sulpherites ten minutes before the hour.
Whitmore again danced into around a mesmerised Harrogate defence, delivering for Antwi to swivel and blast a low right footer past Oxley’s right hand.
The former Cardiff City man rightly celebrated wildly and his team could have notched a fourth- skipper Lee Jenkins nodding Braybrooke’s corner wide, before Oxley thwarted Braybrook as rampant County sought to inflict more devastation.
Town rang the changes as they became increasingly desperate for a route back into a contest that had already seen a final chapter.
Harrogate Town 4-2-3-1
Oxley; Asare, Bradbury. Faulkner, Slater; Fox [Morris 61], Evans; Duke-McKenna, McAleny [Cursons 69], Smith [ Taylor 61]; Muldoon Subs not used from Belshaw, Burrell, O'Connor, Sutton
Newport County 4-3-1-2
Wright; Ogunney, Jenkins, Evans, Thomas; Braybrooke, Antwi; Lloyd [Odimayo 91], Whitmore [Brennan 71] :Garner [Kamwa 82] Baker-Richardson [Reindorff 71] Subs not used Glennon, Alexander-Walker, Tzanev
Referee Simon Mather
Attendance 2822 [171 visitors]