Hartlepool United won easily to boost their play-off hopes and virtually make sure that County are relegated.
Pools won the game in the second half, when their running off and on the ball tore the County defence apart and could have earned a much bigger win.
It looked as if the first half was going to be goalless, until Hartlepool suddenly found their touch in front of goal.
In-form striker Adam Boyd went close with two overhead kicks that sailed over the bar before the 42nd minute when Darrell Clarke ghosted in from wide on the right to hit the post after Boyd's cross.
But County failed to clear properly, and home skipper Richie Humphreys won possession wide on the left before picking his spot with a perfect low shot that just made it inside the far post.
It might have been two in the first half's final minute when top scorer Eifion Williams curled in a great shot from the left of the area, but County keeper Stuart Garden finger-tipped the ball round the post for a corner.
But it all came right for Pools after the break. On 53 minutes Boyd scrambled a close-range goal after his first attempt from a Neil Danns corner was blocked in front of goal.
Two minutes later he scored a much more spectacular goal, volleying in from the edge of the area, Garden only able to fingertip the ball against his left-hand post and into the net.
The fourth came on 69 minutes when top-scorer Eifion Williams broke from his own half and fed left-back Hugh Robertson to surge through and score easily after Garden had blocked his first shot.
County kept plugging away, but in the end manager Gary Mills had to admit: "We look doomed. We are just not good enough.
"Questions have to be asked of some of the players, because I felt some were hiding. But conceding four goals in each of our last three away games tells you something." Hartlepool boss Neale Cooper was delighted, commenting: "We worked hard in the first half, and got our reward with some good goals in the second.
"We have three games left and it won't be easy, but we'll keep battling and hope for the best."