Newport County: ‘Big win’ keeps Exiles in the fight to survive

On 26 January, Newport County manager Christian Fuchs insisted his team were not in a League Two relegation battle.

His side then went five matches without a win and appeared down and out, sitting five points adrift at the bottom of the table by mid-February.

Fast forward to 3 March and a 3-1 win over Tranmere Rovers at Rodney Parade lifted County out of the relegation zone for the first time in 151 days on a night that felt like it could be a turning point in the Exiles’ season.

Fuchs hailed the victory as a “big relief” and “very, very important” as it brought an end to Newport’s 25-game spell in the bottom two.

“The boys showed a lot of resilience,” he said. “They’ve shown they’re hard to beat and they also showed that they can be patient.

“They showed that they can score goals, and we want to push forward. There’s a lot of positives to take away and to build on.

“It was a big relief, it was a well-deserved three points and being away from the bottom two is definitely big.

“It lifts the group, it lifts the spirits and is very good for the boys.”

Newport have now taken seven points from four games and sit on 28 points, one clear of Barrow and Harrogate who occupy the drop zone.

Barrow, who have two games in hand, have the chance to go back above the Exiles when they travel to Cheltenham on Friday evening.