Gwengwe scored in the 11th minute and the 90th. County needed both

Shaquille Gwengwe opened the scoring in the 11th minute and rescued the game in the 90th, and the numbers say the 2-2 with Tranmere was his point more than anyone's. Two goals from his only two shots of the afternoon, and a 7.6 rating that led every player on the pitch in a game County spent largely without the ball: 41 per cent possession, outshot 15 to 11, and a pass accuracy of 51 per cent that meant barely one ball in two found a Newport shirt.

The supply line deserves its own note. Harrison Biggins assisted the opener, produced three key passes, and his 7.3 rating was the second-best in amber. That leaves County 11th in League Two on 4 points from three games, unbeaten at Rodney Parade and carrying a forward in the sort of form that decides tight afternoons. The next job for the coaching staff is arithmetic: a side conceding more chances than it creates will need Gwengwe's numbers to keep bailing the difference.