Accrington make winning start to life back in League Two against Newport

Accrington got off to a winning start back in League Two with a 3-0 victory over Newport.

The Exiles started well, with Seb Palmer-Houlden blasting over in the third minute while Jack Nolan’s 22-yard strike for Stanley was pushed over the bar by keeper Nick Townsend.

Stanley, relegated last season, opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Tommy Leigh’s through ball split the Newport defence and found Nolan who rounded Townsend and slotted home.

Kelvin Mellor’s strike for Accrington was narrowly over the bar while, at the other end, Brad Hills hooked a Ryan Delaney header off the line in the eighth minute of first-half added time.

Stanley came close to a second after 50 minutes but Townsend superbly kept out a Lewis Shipley header.

Newport then upped the pace with Adam Lewis and Will Evans coming close to an equaliser.

The Reds made it safe in the 80th minute when substitute Seb Quirk’s ball into the area was headed home by fellow substitute Shaun Whalley.

They added a third in the fourth minute of added time when a cross by Hills was forced home from close range by Korede Adedoyin.