Port Vale 1-2 Newport County: Visitors dent Vale's League Two automatic promotion hopes

Ben Garrity's equaliser for Port Vale came after the break

Port Vale's automatic promotion hopes are out of their own hands after they lost at home to Newport County.

Vale remain two points and three spots below third-placed Northampton Town, with the final round of the regular League Two season to come on on Saturday, 7 May.

Ryan Haynes' opener for Newport was cancelled out by Ben Garrity.

But Finn Azaz struck to give the visitors a win, albeit with their promotion hopes having already ended.

Port Vale go to leaders Exeter on Saturday needing a win and other results to go their way to squeeze into the top three.

Newport will have no say in the promotion race as they host lowly Rochdale to conclude their season.

Interim Port Vale boss Andy Crosby:

"If we go to Exeter like we go into every single game we've played this season - to try and win - we'll see where that takes us.

"Our levels of performance have dropped off and we're all massively disappointed but, as I've said to the lads, we have one more chance and it's great that we have that chance to get the points that we need.

"We need the whole group together if we're going to overcome this obstacle of losing three games and everyone has a part to play whether they're fit, injured, part of the support staff - whoever they are, we have to make sure we're all on the same page and fighting for the same thing."

Newport boss James Rowberry:

"It shows what we're capable of. The challenge for me now and the players and staff is dealing with those moments of pressure that we've got to come through and I know we'll work on that in the off-season.

"We've got to ensure we build on what we're trying to do here.

"What pleased me today was the lads' attitude and focus - we kind of demonstrated what we're about today."