Wrexham beat Newport County in a two-half game on a windswept racecourse, with second-half goals from James Jones and Elliott Lee sealing the first EFL meeting between the teams since 1988.

The county team’s bus broke down in Shrewsbury on the way north, but they certainly didn’t park the bus in front of a crowd of 12,000 people. 1,100 traveling fans enjoyed the first half as their team took the game to the hosts.

But Graham Coughlan’s men missed their chance and were punished after the break as Wrexham piled on the pressure and Jones celebrated his 100th league appearance for the club with the first goal before Lee headed in the second.

Wrexham suffered a blow before kick-off when experienced defender Johan O’Connell was injured in the warm-up and had to be replaced in the starting eleven by 21-year-old Max Cleworth. But Arsenal loanee Arthur Okonkwo returned from injury to start between the posts for the hosts and was a central figure in the first half as County created their best chances.

The 22-year-old goalkeeper wore a protective mask following jaw surgery following the injury he suffered against Harrogate Town last month. But Okonkwo showed no ill effects as he blocked Will Evans’ close-range shot from Omar Bogle’s pass midway through the first half.

Bogle then saw a shot go over the bar from a corner, before Seb Palmer-Holden headed in from close range Ryan Delaney’s cross, which Okonkwo brilliantly tipped over the bar. Harry Charsley’s shot was deflected by Delaney for a corner.

Wrexham had more possession but were unable to find the back of the net in the first 45 minutes. Parkinson’s teams had a strong wind at their backs after the break and used that advantage to take control of the game later on.

Paul Mullin, who was beaten by Delaney, Scot Bennett and James Clarke in the first half, fell in the box after tangling his feet two minutes after the restart but referee John Busby dismissed his penalty appeals.

County goalkeeper Nick Townsend almost scored an embarrassing own goal when he failed to adjust to a long-range shot from his former team-mate Ben Tozer, but Bennett’s goal-line clearance saved him from red. Soon after, Townsend was lucky again when Lee hit the post with a gust of wind before ricocheting it off the keeper’s head for a corner.

Wrexham began to tighten the screws and County managed to maintain their level as Lee closed in and James McClean and Sam Dalby closed in. The pressure finally paid off in the 64th minute when another long-range shot from Tozer was only half-cleared and Jones fired in from 12 yards to open the scoring.

Coughlan moved goalscorer Evans from the left forward alongside Bogle for the final 10 minutes, but the Exiles were unable to get into the game. And it was another rocket from former County player Tozer that sealed the contest when Lee headed home in the 87th minute to give Wrexham the three points that keep them third in the League Two table and on course for a second successive promotion .

Wrexham: And Okonkwo; J. Mandy, M. Cleworth, B. Tozer, T. O’Connor, J. McClean; J. Jones, Cannon (L. Young, 88), E. Lee (J. Davies, 90); S. Dalby (S. Fletcher, 73), P. Mullin (J. Bickerstaff, 90)

No substitutes used: Howard M, Forde A, Boyle W.

Newport County: N Townsend; J. Clarke, S. Bennett, R. Delaney; S. McLaughlin, B. Morris, A. Wildig, W. Evans; H. Charsley (M. Baker, 64); O Bogle, S Palmer-Holden (L Payne, 80)

No substitutes used: J. Maxted, J. Waite, K. Rye, N. Wood, M. Bondswell