Manager David Hughes will be mightily relieved that his players were able to back up Tuesday's EFL Trophy victory at Cardiff City, which ended an 11-game winless run, with a massive three points at Accrington Stanley.

The winner - an own goal two minutes before half-time - was fortunate, but County fully deserved their 1-0 victory after creating the better chances before the break and defending doggedly in the second half to see out the game.

And with Cheltenham Town, who the Exiles host next, drawing 1-1 at Gillingham there was the added bonus of County climbing to 23rd in the table - albeit on goal difference alone.

Hughes made two enforced changes from Tuesday's memorable night at the Cardiff City Stadium with Habeeb Ogunneye and Nathan Opoku both picking up injuries during that match.

In came Joe Thomas, who had replaced Ogunneye off the bench in midweek, and Michael Reindorf, who was ineligible to play against his parent club.

With Ged Garner not considered fit enough to start, Reindorf was given the chance to play as the central striker in preference to Courtney Baker-Richardson.

And he made a positive early contribution by playing in Bobby Kamwa, whose shot from the right of the penalty area was saved relatively comfortably by Ollie Wright in the seventh minute.

Kamwa then turned creator three minutes later when his deep cross from the right was headed over the top by Michael Spellman.

Those two early opportunities apart, both sides struggled to rouse themselves in the autumnal Lancashire sun.

The hosts did eventually step it up, manufacturing a series of half chances in the period before half-time, but without testing County goalkeeper Jordan Wright.

Logan Pye's cross from deep on the left was headed over the top by Josh Woods before Paddy Madden missed his kick when given a sight of goal by Isaac Heath's clever cutback from the byline, and Woods the dragged a shot wide from distance.

The Exiles withstood that little spell of pressure easily enough and they responded in some style at the other end.

Spellman was unlucky not to break the deadlock five minutes before the break when Reindorf's cross from the right deflected off a defender and sat up nicely for the winger, whose close-range header was brilliantly tipped onto the post by Ollie Wright.

And the traveling fans did get the chance to celebrate the breakthrough in the 43rd minute when Kamwa darted into the box and his cross was diverted past Wright and into his own net by the unfortunate Isaac Sinclair.

The home side made a double change at the start of the second half, but they were immediately forced onto the back foot and Kai Whitmore was denied by a fine save from Ollie Wright.

Stanley did then put the Exiles defence under a sustained period of pressure, but were again unable to register a shot on target.

There was one nervy moment when Tom Davies misjudged a header back to his goalkeeper and Jordan Wright just got there before Woods.

The County keeper then did well to clear the danger with a strong punch after a dangerous ball into the box by Liam Coyle.

But his first save of note came in the 73rd minute when he tipped over a header from substitute Joe Bauress.

Heath then bamboozled County sub Baker-Richardson with some fancy footwork before dragging a shot wide from the edge of the box.

But there was to be no late drama at the Wham Stadium and the Exiles' young guns celebrated another hard-fought win with their travelling fans.

Accrington (4-2-3-1): O Wright; D Love (C O'Brien, 46), J Smith, B Ward, L Pye; L Coyle, C Grant ( J Bauress, 46); J Woods (A Henderson, 72), I Sinclair (C Brown, 72), I Heath; P Madden

County (4-3-3): J Wright; J Thomas (C Brennan, 85), L Jenkins, M Baker, T Davies; C Antwi, S Braybrooke, K Whitmore (C Evans, 75); B Kamwa, M Reindorf, M Spellman (C Baker-Richardson, 67)

Substitutes not used: S MacDonald, J Clarke, J Warner, G Garner