Substitute Garath McCleary came off the bench to score a stoppage-time winner for Gillingham at Priestfield.
The Gills were twice behind against bottom side Newport but Conor Masterson headed the Gills level in the first half, and after Josh Andrews missed two great chances, Armani Little’s 90th-minute penalty levelled it up before McCleary’s late winner.
It was Gillingham’s first home win in four months, ending a run of eight games at Priestfield without success.
The second half had been held up with an injury to a linesman, and after an announcement asking anyone in the crowd if they could take over as fourth official, a man stepped forward so play could resume after a 10-minute delay.
Gillingham were back in action after a two-week break without a game – a period that gave injured players a chance to recover and an opportunity for the team to work hard on their lack of goalscoring prowess.
Manager Gareth Ainsworth made five changes to the side which started their previous game, 17 days earlier at Swindon. The Gills lost that game 2-0 – a ninth game without a win in League 2.
That poor form had dropped the Gills to 16th, but there was still a level of expectancy among fans as they faced a Newport side sitting bottom of the pile, ruing the loss of key man Sammy Braybrooke to another League 2 team.
Ainsworth went with pace in a 4-2-3-1 formation as wingers Jonny Smith and Aaron Rowe both started, Bradley Dack in the middle and big striker Josh Andrews spearheading the attack.
A change in defence saw Sam Gale take over from Remeao Hutton at right-back. It was the first time Hutton hadn’t started a game under Ainsworth, ending a 47-game run in all competitions where he had been named in the XI.
Gale was tested out wide early on and was beaten to a crossfield pass that led to a shot from Harrison Biggins, which went close.
The Gills didn’t heed the early warning and Newport kept up the pressure.
Gillingham were pulled all over the place as Gale blocked a Lee Jenkins shot on the line. Morris saved from Ryan Delaney but the home keeper couldn’t keep out a follow-up from Michael Spellman, his header looping into the net with four minutes gone.
The Gills were struggling to settle as Jenkins and Nathaniel Opoku had chances for Newport before Morris went down with a well-timed injury.
While Morris got some treatment, the Gills players got a talking to from the manager, and once play resumed, they looked like they’d got a grip.
The Gills were still prone to getting caught out on the break, and survived a couple of scares, but it was largely better for the remainder of the half, and they managed to find an equaliser.
Jonny Smith and Robbie McKenzie both had shots blocked before Max Clark swung in a cross for Masterson, who nodded in the leveller with half an hour gone.
Masterson had another shot blocked, but the sides went in level at half-time.
Andrews headed over after meeting a Jonny Smith cross early into the second half and the striker then almost set Dack up to finish, the ball screwed wide of the mark.
Visiting keeper Jordan Wright had to save from Rowe, and was thankful that the ball fell safe, as Gale ran in looking to convert.
A golden chance followed when Rowe stuck the ball on a plate for unmarked Andrews, but with just the keeper to beat, he shot straight into Wright’s arms.
An even better opportunity followed when Gale crossed for the big striker but Andrews somehow missed from a yard out.
With just over an hour gone, the game was paused after one of the assistant referees picked up an injury. The fourth official took over, and an announcement was made over the stadium PA system, asking anyone in the crowd if they were qualified to take over as fourth official.
A spectator stepped up after a delay of almost 10 minutes and his first duty was to hold up the board as Garath McCleary replaced Jonny Smith.
When play resumed, the Gills kept up the pressure, and Matt Baker had to make an important clearance to clear a cross ahead of Andrews, before Wright saved well to deny Gale.
The Gills were made to pay for those missed chances as Newport substitute Antwi scored. A burst of pace from Tanatswa Nyakuhwa opened up some space and he picked out his teammate, who turned and fired home into the bottom corner on 84 minutes.
Gillingham got back level again on 90 minutes when Little converted from the penalty spot after McCleary had been fouled by Nyakuhwa.
The lengthy delay earlier in the half meant 15 minutes added on at the end of the 90.
Morris tipped over a shot from Bobby Kamwa, but McCleary converted a Max Clark cross with 99 minutes on the clock, his header bouncing in from off the underside of the bar to put Gillingham ahead for the first time.
A fingertip save from Morris on 103 minutes kept the Gills in front, and they reached full-time with the lead intact, with Ciaran Brennan’s desperate attempts to win a penalty at the death rightly earning him a caution for diving.
Gillingham: Morris, Clark, Masterson, A Smith, Gale, McKenzie, Little, Rowe (Hutton 87mins), J Smith (McCleary 70mins), Dack (Coleman 101mins), Andrews (Vokes 87mins). Subs not used: Turner, Palmer-Houlden, Nevitt.
Newport: Wright, Shepherd (Thomas 88mins), Jenkins (Antwi 77mins), Delaney, Baker, Glennon, Smith (Brennan 77mins), Biggins, Kamwa, Opoku (Crole 88mins), Spellman (Nyakuhwa 55mins). Subs not used: Tzanev, Davies.
Referee: Carl Brook
Attendance: 5,548 (166 away)
