Head coach Christian Fuchs believes his side can take plenty of positives despite falling to a narrow defeat against league leaders Bromley at Rodney Parade.
County produced a strong and energetic performance against the table-toppers, but were ultimately undone by a late long-range strike from former Exile Corey Whitely.
The result leaves Newport sitting just above the relegation zone, but Fuchs felt the display showed the character and quality within his squad.
“This was a great performance,” he said. “When you look at the game, you couldn’t tell who was top of the table. I am very proud of the players and the character they showed.
“It was one of those matches where you play really well and do not deserve to lose.”
County created a number of chances throughout the contest, with Ben Lloyd, Harrison Biggins, Bobby Kamwa, Matt Baker and James Crole all going close.
“We should have been more clinical with our chances, that is very clear,” Fuchs added. “We created enough chances for three games.
“We can take a lot from this performance. I am just disappointed for the boys.”
Fuchs praised his side’s approach, particularly their strong start and sustained intensity throughout the match.
“We started the game very strongly and set the tone,” he said. “The players didn’t stop. We knew they would be difficult to break down and that we would need to be patient.
“We kept going, we didn’t drop our energy levels, but unfortunately we walk away with nothing.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s trip to Walsall, the head coach remains focused on building on the performance.
“There is no reason for us to put our heads down,” he said. “We produced a very good display against the top side in the league.
“We need to stay positive, keep our heads up and take that into the next game.”
Fuchs also provided an update on defender Lee Jenkins, who was forced off before half-time with a shoulder injury.
“He is still being assessed,” he confirmed. “It was a shoulder injury and the pain was too much for him to continue.”
The County boss also felt his side were unfortunate not to be awarded a late penalty.
“The Ben Lloyd handball was a clear penalty,” he added.
Despite the late setback, Fuchs remained encouraged by his side’s overall display.
“I felt we dealt with them well throughout,” he said. “We won the second balls and handled their set plays.
“It was just unfortunate that a shot from distance took a bounce and went into the net.”
