Exiles desperate to finish campaign on a high, says keeper
AFTER a dismal run of four straight defeats, Newport County goalkeeper Nick Townsend insists the players want to “go out on a high” with three successive home games – starting tonight with the visit of Accrington Stanley.
County haven’t lost five in a row in League Two since Graham Westley was in charge during the disastrous 2016-17 season, when they only survived on the final day.
That horror run was eight successive defeats between November 2016 and January 2017 and led to Westley’s sacking in the March before Michael Flynn engineered the escape from relegation.
But there is also a warning from more recent times for current Exiles boss Graham Coughlan.
After their promotion hopes fizzled out in the 202122 campaign, County finished with five straight defeats at Rodney Parade.
That became seven in a row at the start of the following season and James Rowberry was soon dismissed.
And after a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Crawley Town in Newport on Easter Monday, Townsend says they are desperate to get back to winning ways in front of their home fans this evening.
“Our home form is what has kept us going, especially with how the fans are,” said the Exiles keeper.
“That’s been the main thing to get us where we are today.
“We know how hostile it can be at Rodney Parade and we want it to be a fortress. We want to give back to the fans and make sure they go out on a high.”
County’s play-off hopes are over after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at relegation-threatened Grimsby Town, but they can reach one target with a win tonight – three points would take them past last season’s tally of 57.
“You don’t always get what you deserve but as a group we need to show that we are improving each year,” said Townsend (circled, left), who has established himself as the first-choice keeper at the club this term after starting in all but two games in League Two.
“It’s been more or less a new squad and we have come together, so beating last year’s tally would help us prove that we are going in the right direction.
“We’ve had to graft. We have all done a job and at the start of the season we’d have snapped your hand off to be where we are.”
Coughlan’s men have dropped to 16th, but could climb as high as 12th if results go their way tonight.
They conclude the season with home matches against Tranmere Rovers on Saturday and Salford City on April 20, before a final-day trip to Bradford City on April 27.
Meanwhile, Wrexham will take a step closer to automatic League Two promotion if they beat playoff hopefuls Crawley Town at the Racecourse this evening.