Fuchs calls for Newport focus in survival battle

Newport County secured promotion back to the EFL in 2013 [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 Joe Thomas scored Newport's crucial late winner against relegation rivals Harrogate Town [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.