Captain Joss Labadie and his Newport County team are fired up for Christmas.
The Exiles have four League Two fixtures in 10 days, starting against Lincoln at Rodney Parade on Saturday, and three of the teams they face are above sixth-placed County in the table.
“No team will relish facing us right now, I’m sure,” says Labadie, who fired a last gasp winner for Newport at Cambridge United on Saturday.
“We’ve faced most of the teams around us now and it doesn’t really faze us. We’re a good team, a force to be reckoned with and I think teams will be fearing us from now on.”
“We will prepare for every fixture as we always prepare and we fancy our chances against anybody.”
Lincoln visit Rodney Parade standing two points in front of County, while they also play fourth-placed Wycombe Wanderers away and entertain third in the table Exeter City on New Year’s Day.
Their final fixture of 2017 is against Cheltenham Town away on Saturday, December 30.
Labadie scored a dramatic 93rd minute winner at Cambridge United, stunning home fans and piling more pressure on U’s manager Shaun Derry.
There was a protest during the match against Newport when a big red card was held up stating four reasons the head coach should go.
Labadie admitted he was shocked to score the winner after the ball hit his knee and flew into the net.
“It was a total shock,” said Labadie. “It was a great ball in from Matty Dolan to be fair. I don’t really know what’s happened, I’ve tried to follow it in and, luckily, it’s come off my right knee.
“We haven’t had a last-minute winner in a little while and it was a really good feeling.
“It makes it a little bit sweeter because there was only five seconds left in the game for them to kick-off. So it is a bit sweeter.
“It doesn’t matter when the goal comes. We hung in there and did well to take the three points.
“It wasn’t the greatest of games to be fair.
“For me, it was arguably the worst that we have been this season, but it just shows the resilience that we have in the team to win.”
Shawn McCoulsky had netted his 10th goal of the season earlier and Labadie said: “I’m really proud of him.
“He’s a poacher and always in and around it in the box, on his toes. That’s the signs of a quality striker. Hopefully he can bag a few more.”
Newport County’s next four League Two fixtures:
Saturday, December 23: Newport County v Lincoln City (3pm).
Boxing Day, Tuesday, December 26: Wycombe Wanderers v Newport County (3pm).
Saturday, December 30: Cheltenham Town v Newport County (3pm).
Monday, January 1: Newport County v Exeter City (3pm).
