By Jacob Maddaford
Newport County manager Graham Coughlan has given a scathing assessment of his team – and questioned his own future – after they suffered a sixth successive defeat.
The County boss said the club’s fans deserved better after their latest setback – a 2-1 loss at home against Tranmere Rovers.
That makes it a miserable round half dozen of losses on the bounce for Newport, who only a month ago looked to have a decent outside chance of making the play-offs before their rotten run.
“It’s tough to take and watch, we’re limping towards the end of the season,” Coughlan said.
“In the face of adversity, you learn and you see the players with character and resilience and who really want it.
“We’re playing for pride, and I don’t really see a lot of professional pride.
“Granted, we don’t have the energy, but in the second half of games we just can’t get going. It’s sad watching us.
It’s been a rough period for Newport County
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“From the outside looking in, you must be thinking what on earth is going on here? But those who have watched us all season know that this isn’t a true reflection of us.
“The first 30-40 minutes were really good, If you maintain that level of performance, you win the game, but we can’t.
“If it was a jigsaw puzzle, the pieces wouldn’t fit. We’re having to play players out of position, our two main strikers are at centre midfield and left back.”
Coughlan did hint that he is worried about his future at the club following this run.
He took over at Rodney Parade in October 2022 and has won 33 matches out of 91 in charge, with 23 draws and 35 defeats.
“If I’ve taken this group as far as I can, I’ll have to look at that.
“It’s been a hell of a ride, but this fanbase deserves better. I love this club, but you can’t lose six games on the bounce. That’s not acceptable, I have to look at myself.
There’s a lot of narrative currently about the future of Graham Coughlan, which is natural given the recent run. However, I’m firmly Coughlan in – he gets the club and has navigated having one of the lowest budgets in the EFL extremely well. That said, we can’t end on 8 losses.
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“I don’t find losing one game acceptable, let alone six.”
There was a surprise inclusion in the Newport starting 11, with centre back Nelson Sanca making his professional debut.”
“I thought he was very good; he was a bright spark today if you can take one from it,” added Coughlan.
“We’ve created that pathway for the academy players, and it’s up to them to take it.
“The thing you need as a centre back is presence, and Nelson has that in abundance.”
“He’s got presence and pace, but he needs to keep working and we need to find game-time for him.”
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The home side took the lead in the first half through Will Evans, who got his 21st goal of the season with a bullet header from a cross from Harrison Bright.
Evans squandered a chance to double County’s lead after he failed to get a clean connection on Bryn Morris’s free kick, and from the resulting counter-attack, Rob Apter made it 1-1.
Apter got his second of the game 11 minutes later, as he received the ball just outside the penalty area and fired his shot through the legs of the debutant Sanca, and into the bottom right corner.
County did have a few chances to equalise in the second half.
Substitute Kiban Rai had his shot well blocked and Matt Baker had one saved by the feet of Luke McGee in the Rovers goal.
