Newport County 5-3 Morecambe: Exiles reignite play-off pursuit with victory in thriller
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Newport County have lost just two of their last 12 home league games
Newport County edged an eight-goal thriller at Rodney Parade to boost their League Two play-off hopes at the expense of Morecambe.
Adam Lewis added to an Aaron Wildig brace to put Newport in command after a Gwion Edwards goal.
But after Edwards and Chris Stokes struck, Harry Charsley and Seb Palmer-Houlden netted to earn Newport victory.
It ended Newport's two-game losing run, but ensured successive losses for Morecambe.
The Shrimps remain within three points of the top seven in 11th, with Newport two points and one position further back.
The fact much of the damage was done to the Lancashire outfit by a former skipper will not have been lost on the travelling fans during a wet and often wild encounter.
Wildig made 248 appearances during seven years at Morecambe, but he scored twice early in both halves to put County in control at Rodney Parade.
Lewis added to Wildig's 12th minute opener with a fine finish, before Edwards counter-attacked his way to his first Morecambe goal since signing in January.
Midfielder Wildig restored the two-goal advantage only for Stokes to stab home for the visitors in a goalmouth scramble.
And the comeback looked to have been completed when Edwards nodded in after a save from close range with 16 minutes remaining.
But Charsley curled home four minutes later before Palmer Houlden sealed it with a calm finish in amongst the madness of a match that would have left both managers and sets of fans shaking their heads.
Newport County boss Graham Coughlan:
"I don't know where to start. I thought it was a brilliant advert for League Two football and for both clubs.
"It goes to show how far both clubs have come over the last couple of seasons.
"That was Morecambe chucking everything at us, but let's be honest, we could have scored eight, nine or 10 tonight. We're just pleased we came out the other side of it with three points."
Morecambe manager Ged Brannan:
"The players are devastated. I thought at times we were breathtaking on the ball but we can't defend crosses like that. We all know. We can't come away from home and create eight or nine chances and get beat like that.
"We started the game really well, we had good chance and they had one break and they had a tap-in.
"If we want to get to the play-offs we've got to shore up at the back, we've just got to.
"Gwion was unplayable at times, going through like a knife through butter. We got it back to 3-3 but conceded straight away. We had the better chances, we really did, but you can't concede goals like that."