Tranmere come from behind to hammer 10-man Newport

Tranmere recovered from a goal down to beat fellow strugglers Newport 4-1 and leapfrog them in the final League Two standings.

County, who had Kai Whitmore sent off for a hand to the face of Jake Garrett in the 66th minute, started brightly and deservedly led through Shane McLoughlin’s 23rd-minute opener.

But Garrett levelled four minutes before the break with a heavily-deflected effort from distance and the visitors never looked back.

Kristian Dennis took advantage of some sloppy defending to fire into the bottom corner three minutes after the restart.

And, four minutes after Whitmore’s moment of madness, Omari Patrick beat Nick Townsend with a long-range effort to wrap up the points for Rovers.

Josh Davison, who added a fresh dimension to the visitors’ attack after coming on as a half-time substitute, then got the goal his impressive display merited when he headed in from fellow sub Josh Hawkes’ cross 12 minutes from time to rub further salt in the Exiles’ wounds.