Newport County head coach Christian Fuchs believes his side must “look in the mirror” after conceding twice in quick succession before the hour mark in the 2-0 defeat to Crawley Town at Rodney Parade.
The Exiles, who remain just one point above the League Two relegation zone, were left frustrated in front of a crowd of more than 6,000, with results elsewhere further intensifying the battle for survival.
Reflecting on the performance, Fuchs admitted his disappointment and questioned his side’s approach, particularly after the break.
“Obviously I am disappointed,” he said. “The second half is something we need to look over again. There was not a team out there that was fighting for it. We had too many players that were too comfortable in that first half.
“We need to take a look at ourselves in the mirror and see what we did wrong. We have had a few harsh words in the dressing room. The boys have been honest with themselves. We tried to address the situation at half-time, we knew what they were going to do. But we made the same mistakes in the second half and that is something I can’t explain.”
Despite going two goals down, County created opportunities to get back into the contest, with Bobby Kamwa going closest when through on goal, while Ryan Delaney and Ben Lloyd also threatened.
“We might have got a point out of it with the chances we had,” added Fuchs. “Bobby was one-on-one with 30 minutes to go. We got into the box and created several chances.”
Fuchs acknowledged the significance of the result, particularly against a Crawley side who had struggled for form prior to the fixture, and admitted it was another missed opportunity in a demanding season.
“It’s a season of missed opportunities,” he said. “We have been in this situation quite a few times already this season. We are making it unnecessarily hard for ourselves. I think we might have pulled clear, that’s the part that hurts. We have had opportunities, but missed them.”
With a crucial run of fixtures ahead, starting with Monday’s trip to Notts County, Fuchs is confident his players can respond once again.
“I 100 per cent believe in the boys,” he said. “So far they have always given the right answers in the next game. We need to roll up our sleeves, get up and get going again.”
