Newport County 3 Carlisle United 3: On Newport's new "hybrid" pitch, this was a combination of all sorts of things, apart from the slightest hint of a clean sheet. A patchy first half, a hectic second, six goals and drama to the very last touch of the ball. Not your typical mid-table draw, then.

United started Saturday in 14th position and woke up this morning the same, yet this was an extremely eventful way of staying put.

Had it gone on for another five minutes, who knows how it might have ended? Carlisle could be thankful, at least, that Jack Bonham's reflexes and reach kept out Dan Butler's goalbound shot in the final second. Losing by the odd goal in seven that way would have made for the most miserable journey north.

Would Newport have deserved it? They might argue so. Keith Curle would contend that United earned what they got through a resurgent effort at the start of the second half, at a ground where they had lost three in a row before this visit.

Curle's side rattled Mike Flynn's hosts three times to set up a victory chance in 18 pinball minutes. Matty Dolan's pair of free-kicks, the second of which was of the highest class, denied them that. Curle felt Newport's players went to ground too softly in order to earn their set-pieces, although the chance count favoured the south Welsh team.

On the whole, there was enough persistence and flaws in both camps to make the outcome the right one, not that it gets the Blues any closer to where they want to be. They continue to tick points off in away games, and in the league have now lost just once in nine.

The next step is to translate this chiselled-out form into league-table progress. After 45 minutes you feared they did not have enough creativity to make that step but the outbreak of goals that followed showed a little of what was possible, especially from their midfielders, two of whom drove into the box to score.

In the negative column: a rotten first goal against, that generally uninspiring first half and losing the lead twice, even accounting for Dolan's accuracy. There needs to be equal emphasis on these parts because United will not be a play-off team in a tight division unless they can make the most of winning opportunities.

It can of course be noted that Rodney Parade is rarely a land of fun for visiting teams. Their surface has been (thankfully) upgraded but few sides still come here and fill their boots. Curle acknowledged this with a line-up that looked, on paper, very defensive, but also probably reflected a belief that United's best qualities right now are in the areas of protection and containment rather than attack.

The irony is that a goal glut eventually broke out, but initially things followed the path laid out: Newport, as the hosts, having the better of possession, but United limiting them for the best part of that first half.

With five defenders and a midfield staffed by hard workers rather than lockpickers, United - as at Gillingham the weekend before - sought to frustrate Newport and hope Reggie Lambe could float to damaging effect around Richie Bennett, the lone striker.

The Blues seldom attacked with abandon, rarely got bodies beyond their big number nine in the early stages, even though their first few minutes were spent on the front foot. Joyce failed to make the most of a half-chance while Etuhu missed a decent headed opportunity. A few vigorous challenges went in and, as the hosts gained a foothold through Frank Nouble's frontrunning, Mickey Demetriou forced a diving save from Bonham.

On a freezing day, Newport's drummer tried to thump some rhythm into proceedings. Shawn McCoulsky and Robbie Willmott were denied by blocks, Bonham was engaged by Dolan and McCoulsky, and while this was not exactly a siege, it was coming a little too keenly for United's liking at times.

The Blues broke occasionally, Etuhu shooting straight at Day and Lambe nearly dribbling through, but the direction of travel was mainly the other way. Dolan volleyed wide, Butler rifled over and then, miserably, United conceded, when Bonham arrived in no-man's-land at Willmott's floated free-kick, and McCoulsky found enough space to lift the ball into the unguarded net.

A wretched end to a low-grade half. But how remarkably things then changed. United, apparently told by Curle to get their midfielders running off Newport's with more purpose, were level a minute into the second half, when Joyce poached from a yard or two out after Lambe had turned a scramble towards Newport's goal.

There was no time to dwell on a first away goal in a United shirt for their stand-in captain (Danny Grainger was absent with injury), for that simply fired the starting gun on a different kind of contest. In Carlisle's half, Gary Liddle thwarted Nouble on the left. Then the Blues scored again.

Tom Miller, Grainger's replacement on the left, did well to hold the ball and win another throw. Again, Miller launched it into the box; again Newport failed to clear; and Etuhu, this time, gobbled it up before driving it low past Day.

Over to Newport. Demetriou had a back-post header blocked, and then minutes later they were level. Joyce's challenge on Nouble was penalised, and Dolan's curler found the bottom corner.

Curle exonerated Bonham's positioning for this and, as things grew more heated, both in terms of action, touchline exchanges and the rising volume in the stands, United stunned Newport again. This time it came from a short corner which was worked to Tom Parkes. He drove forward and drifted a cross to the far post, and Miller's climbing header had enough on it to cross the line.

This felt like a decent reward for Miller, who gave a committed display in Grainger's void, yet he had only five minutes to entertain the thought of being the matchwinner. While United disagreed with the awarding of Newport's next free-kick, nobody could question the quality of Dolan's shot, which curved into the top corner with maximum precision, even as Liddle backpedalled towards the line to try and block its path.

A sixth goal by the 69th minute, and it got no less lively from here. Liddle, again, denied sub Lamar Reynolds, McCoulsky and Nouble failed to make the most of quick breaks for which Newport seemed to be set up, while for United, Mike Jones tested Day and sub Hallam Hope drilled wide.

The visitors almost got in again, through Etuhu, Lambe and Bennett, and then amid more tetchiness on the pitch and the stands, Newport ended it at a canter, Reynolds missing a good chance, Joss Labadie wasting a free header in the 94th minute, and then one more opening, when Carlisle failed to keep hold of the ball and the Exiles crossed again.

Eventually it found its way to Butler, lurking at the corner of the box. His shot was measured and Rodney Parade prepared to acclaim it. Bonham, though, had the final touch, so ending a breathless, exhausting journey that left us, absurdly, little the wiser about where this United season might eventually go.