Jack Nolan, Shaun Whalley and Korede Adedoyin were the goal heroes as Accrington Stanley got their League Two campaign off to a winning start against Newport County.

There were Stanley debuts for loanees Brad Hills, Lewis Shipley and Josh Andrews with permanent summer signing Kelvin Mellor also given the nod to start.

Jay Rich-Baghuelou made his long-awaited return following almost a year out with injury while pre-season top scorer Nolan started up front.

The Exiles finished in mid-table last season and they almost opened the scoring in the third minute when a corner caused chaos in the area and Seb Palmer-Houlden blasted the ball over.

Stanley’s first real chance came on 13 minutes when Nolan’s 25-yard strike was tipped over the crossbar by keeper Nick Towsend.

A Nolan free kick on 22 minutes found the head of Mellor but the Newport defence managed to clear before Stanley opened the scoring on 24 minutes.

Tommy Leigh played a defence splitting pass to send Nolan clean through and he took the ball around keeper Townsend and slotted home from a tight angle.

Sean McConville had a strike saved by Townsend in added time in the first half and Mellor blasted narrowly over.

In the sixth minute of added time, Norwich loan defender Hills cleared a Ryan Delaney header off the line to stop Newport equalising.

Adam Lewis fired narrowly over for Newport after the re-start while Stanley came close to a second when McConville’s cross found the head of Shipley but Townsend got a hand to push the effort wide.

Will Evans came close again for Newport when goalie Toby Savin’s clearance bounced to him but his shot, from an angle, was across the empty goal.

Newport were forcing the pressure with Lewis chipping over following a goalmouth scramble on 62 minutes.

Coleman made a triple substitution on 65 minutes with Whalley, Rosaire Longelo and Seb Quirk entering the pitch before Adedoyin also came on.

Two substitutes combined to make it two on 80 minutes when Quirk’s long ball forward found Whalley at the far post and he headed home from close range.

Palmer-Houlden headed over and Lewis had an effort blocked for the Exiles before Longelo's fierce drive was kept out by Townsend in added time.

Adedoyin made it three in the third minute of ten minutes of added time when he got on the end of Hills cross in front of the Farleys Clayton End.

Accrington: Savin, Shipley (Pickles), Rich-Baghuelou, Hills, Mellor(Quirk), Leigh (Adedoyin), Coyle, Conneely, McConville (Whalley), Nolan (Longelo), Andrews.

Subs: Isherwood, Lowe.

Yellow: Shipley, Leigh.

Crowd: 2416 (464 from Newport).