- Brook blasts second goal of the season
- Exiles roar back to win it in second half
- First home league defeat in five
Crewe Alexandra allowed a first-half lead to slip as Newport County took all three points at Mornflake Stadium.
The Railwaymen led 1-0 at the break thanks to Lachlan Brook’s brilliant strike, his second of the season.
But County hit back after the restart with goals from Cameron Norman and Offrande Zanzala to take the spoils back to Wales.
It was a disappointing outcome in Lee Bell’s first match as permanent manager, but Crewe will now turn their attention to next weekend’s visit of high-flying Leyton Orient.
Bell handed a first league start to midfielder Charlie Colkett, while Rod McDonald was recalled to the starting 11 after injury.
Billy Sass-Davies and Eli King dropped to the bench, as Crewe reverted to a 4-3-3 formation.
Newport, who started the game in 18th but had only lost one of the last five in the league, included former Alex man Zanzala on the bench.
James Waite fizzed an effort just past the post early on for the visitors, and they loaded the ball into the box at every opportunity.
But on 14 minutes the Alex hit the front when Kelvin Mellor found Brook just outside the area, and the Brentford loan man lashed a stunning half-volley into the top corner.
Williams went close to turning home a cross at the far post soon after, but his effort was well blocked.
Just before the half-hour mark Colkett saw a shot saved by keeper Joe Day, then at the other end the woodwork came to the rescue when Cameron Norman’s strike rattled the Alex bar.
Crewe battled hard to keep Newport’s long throws and deep crosses at bay, and protected their clean sheet into the interval.
The game was near the hour-mark before the first real opportunity of the second half, and it fell to the visitors. Declan Drysdale’s header was saved at the second attempt by Arthur Okonkwo.
But on 62 minutes when Newport made it 1-1. The Alex missed opportunities to clear County’s sixth corner and a deflected strike from Norman found the net.
Norman clipped the top of the bar with a powerful drive as the Exiles looked for a winner.
And it arrived with five minutes left when the ball dropped in the box for Zanzala and he found the back of the net from close range.
Crewe (4-3-3): Okonkwo; Williams, Offord (Sass-Davies 90), McDonald, Mellor; Thomas, Uwakwe (King 64), Colkett (Tabiner 74); Brook, Agyei, Sambou.
Subs not used: Richards, Griffiths, O Finney, Adebisi.
Booked: McDonald, Offord
Newport (3-4-3): Day; Dysdale, Farquharson, Demetriou; Norman, Bennett, Welsh, Lewis; Bogle, Waite, Evans (Zanzala 74).
Subs not used: Bowen, Willmott, Dolan, Collins, Wildig, Townsend.
Booked: Drysdale, Evans, Demetriou
Referee: Rebecca Welch
Attendance: 3,865 (164)