Drama in their blood - Newport's latest escape act
Newport County could have done without another one of those stressful, frantic final days of the season - but they just could not help themselves. This club does not do things simply. Strangers to the straightforward, drama is in their blood.
There was the Great Escape of 2017, the original version 40 years earlier and, in between those Houdini-like acts, the club went out of business entirely in 1989, only to reform and rise again. With all that in mind, it should come as no surprise that the Exiles gave their fans another almighty scare at Barrow on Saturday. But for the 1,000 or so who made the arduous journey to Cumbria, this was still another white-knuckle ride on the County express.
Newport survive with dramatic late win to send Barrow down For much of this season, Newport had looked like they would be losing their Football League status again. Before this weekend's long trip to face League Two's bottom side, they had spent 25 of the campaign's 45 matchdays in the relegation zone. The extraordinary, last-gasp 3-2 win over Oldham a week earlier meant the Exiles' fate was in their own hands: win at Barrow and they would be safe.
But of course, they had to make hard work of it. With 15 minutes left, Newport were staring into the abyss, 1-0 down and heading for relegation. Then came the latest heist, first with substitute Tom Davies' equaliser and then in the 83rd minute, Bobby Kamwa - scorer of two goals in their helter-skelter Oldham triumph - struck a superb winner to send the travelling supporters into raptures.
"It's indescribable," Newport manager Christian Fuchs told BBC Sport Wales on the pitch at Barrow. "You've got to be here to see what it means to the players, to the fans, to the community. "It's incredible what the boys have achieved after being written off and then coming back in such a manner and finishing off with back-to-back wins.