South East Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

With three games to go, Newport County still have work to do to secure their Football League status for another season.

The ecstasy that poured out at Rodney Parade on Saturday as the Exiles edged closer to safety with a 2-1 win over relegation rivals Harrogate Town has been quickly tempered.

Barrow's 3-2 victory in their game in hand on Tuesday night has left Newport precariously perched just one point above the drop zone, a familiar and uncomfortable position.

In a constant swing from setbacks to jubilation, manager Christian Fuchs must navigate not only the challenges on the pitch but also the emotional rollercoaster off it, shifting from the highs of Saturday's victory to the lows of being dragged back towards danger just days later.

The highs and the lows of Newport's season so far

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Level on points with Crawley Town and Tranmere Rovers, Newport head into Saturday's crucial fixture with momentum but nervously looking over their shoulders.

But Fuchs has urged his side to remain focused on themselves.

"To be fair, I saw a little bit of the game [on Tuesday]," the Austrian admitted.

"Barrow got those three points, I'd be disappointed if they didn't fight for the right to remain, but it doesn't affect us. We're focusing on Cheltenham.

"The situation is still the same. It's something we've dealt with for the whole season already and we only have to focus on ourselves."

Since Fuchs' appointment in November, Newport have taken 26 points from 27 matches, a significant improvement on the 11 points collected during David Hughes' 16-game spell earlier in the campaign.

Had Fuchs been at the helm since the start of the season and that rate been sustained, Newport would be approaching 43 points, and seven points clear of danger.

Instead, they have spent much of the campaign entrenched in a survival fight and their struggles have been well-documented.

Until a vital 3-1 home win over Tranmere Rovers in March, County had occupied the bottom two for 151 consecutive days.

A bleak winter saw Fuchs' side go winless in the league from November 8 to December 29, drawing three and losing five, while also exiting both the FA Cup and EFL Trophy.

On Christmas Day, Newport were five points adrift of safety and rooted to the foot of League Two with many seeing them as a certainty for the drop.

Yet spring has brought renewed belief.

The Exiles now sit 22nd, a point above the relegation zone, with survival, crucially, still in their own hands.

A run of seven points from four games that started with an emphatic 3–1 away win at promotion-chasing Salford in February proved a turning point.

Newport have continued to gather momentum and last weekend's success over Harrogate proved another one of those occasions.

Still, nothing is secure. Newport have conceded more goals than any team in the division, kept the joint-fewest clean sheets and average just one goal per game.

With nine precious points still up for grabs, survival is far from a guarantee.

Barrow's dramatic late surge against Oldham on Tuesday, scoring three goals in the final ten minutes, means they could temporarily overtake Newport if they beat Walsall in Saturday lunchtime's early kick-off.

"That's [other results] something you cannot affect," Fuchs said.

"It's all about us. And when we do the simple things right, when we play the ball into the right areas, and when we focus on ourselves, then we have a very good chance.

"That's a distraction obviously that could affect the game or mentality but I'm really not too worried about that."

'We're looking forward to Saturday'

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

The immediate focus is Saturday's crucial meeting with Cheltenham Town,

The Robins sit 18th, 12 points clear of trouble and are already assured of their League Two status, which the Exiles continue to seek.

But Fuchs believes that situation makes the game unpredictable rather than straightforward.

"Well, it's one of those that you probably don't know what to expect because they literally don't play for anything anymore at this stage," said Fuchs.

"They are safe. League 2 status guaranteed but I would assume you want to finish the season strong so I'm expecting a competitive game again

"It's the next game for us, that's the most important one, don't worry about what anybody else does."

Despite Barrow's late gasp win and the looming possibility of a final-day showdown against former player Sam Foley, morale in the Newport camp remains high.

"We're just coming off a win at home against Harrogate. Everybody's in good spirits," Fuchs added.

"That's been the theme over the season. Whenever we had setbacks, we put our heads up and kept going. That win definitely elevated the spirits even more and gave us a lot more confidence.

"We're very much looking forward to Saturday already."

Fuchs will be further buoyed by the return of last weekend's matchwinner Joe Thomas, though this game will come too soon for forward Courtney Baker-Richardson, who has only scored two goals since Fuchs' arrival.

But Fuchs is in no doubt that his side have enough to survive and Saturday could yet prove another step forward in achieving this milestone.

"I think you know the answer. The boys have shown, very much so, that they have more than enough to stay up," he said.

"They are all in. And that's also something that you really appreciate as a manager, that you have a team that are really all the way bought in.

"They want to bring the club forward and make sure that we remain in League Two."