Head coach Christian Fuchs believes Newport County can use the backing of the Rodney Parade crowd to help drive them towards Football League safety as they prepare to face Shrewsbury Town this weekend.
The Exiles return to NP19 for the first of seven remaining fixtures, with every point crucial as the season enters its decisive phase.
Despite the late disappointment at Walsall last time out, Fuchs has taken encouragement from both the performance and the mentality shown by his players.
“Obviously the last goal conceded at Walsall really hurt,” he admitted. “We needed to be better in our decision making. However, what I heard back from the boys made me very positive. When we reviewed the game, they told me they were trying to win it. That is such a positive sign.
“Should we have taken a point at Walsall? One hundred percent. Maybe we manage the game differently in the final moments. But the fact they felt the game was there to win shows how much the players have developed a winning mentality.”
County remain outside the relegation zone heading into the weekend, and Fuchs believes recent performances show the progress his side have made.
“The tide has shifted over the last few months and it is good to see,” he said. “Our fans can be critical, rightly so, but they are seeing what we are trying to do, the effort the boys are putting in and that they really care about the club.
“It was amazing after the Bromley and Walsall matches. The recognition from our supporters was there. They told us to keep going and that they believe in us. That means a lot to the players.”
Fuchs is now calling on that same support to play a key role against Shrewsbury, with the home crowd set to be vital in the final run-in.
“This Saturday I want the support from our fans to be really loud,” he added. “We have seven games left and we want to win our next two games, but everything else can wait. Shrewsbury is the most important game because it is the next one.
“Our focus is on ourselves. We have an identity and good players, and we will keep pushing forward.”
While acknowledging the significance of upcoming fixtures, including a key clash with Crawley, Fuchs insists his side will take a game-by-game approach.
“It has been a slow process. It was not easy to rebuild confidence, but we have made progress. Even though we lost the last two games, we are still out of the relegation zone. That shows where we are.
“Setbacks are there to be embraced. There is still a lot of work to be done over the next five or six weeks.”
In terms of team news, Harrison Biggins is unavailable to face his parent club, while Lee Jenkins will be assessed ahead of the match as he continues to manage a shoulder issue.
Shrewsbury arrive at Rodney Parade looking to respond after a dip in form, but Fuchs is fully focused on his own side’s performance as County look to take another step towards securing their league status.
