Newport County head coach Christian Fuchs praised his side’s resilience, intensity and willingness to take the initiative following their crucial 1-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town at Rodney Parade.
Bobby Kamwa’s superb second-half strike secured County’s ninth League Two win of the season, with the performance built on a disciplined and determined display in challenging conditions.
Fuchs said, “We spoke about intensity and resilience and taking the initiative before the game. If we showed that we’d get something out of it [the game]. This has now been proven, but this is a big relief.
“The boys dealt with everything that was thrown their way. This was a great performance, a team win. We kept our line strong and stayed connected, despite the conditions being difficult for both teams.”
Having suffered late setbacks in recent fixtures against Bromley and Walsall, County showed their ability to manage the game in the closing stages.
“We’ve learnt our lessons, right? We could have got away with a point at Walsall, if we had been smarter. But the boys applied themselves today and saw the game out.”
Fuchs also stressed the importance of maintaining focus as the season enters a crucial period.
“We have everything in our own hands,” he added. “We are only looking forward now. We must push forward and focus on our own performance. It’s all about us. If we can continue the way we are playing and continue to collect points it really doesn’t matter about the other teams. We are aware of the situation and the need to put in the shifts.
“We can play better football than this overall, there is still room for improvement.”
Attention now turns to the next fixture at Rodney Parade, with Fuchs calling on the Amber Army to once again play their part.
“I hope we will have many more coming to the stadium on Friday. We need all the support from our fans. They were brilliant today. From the very first whistle they had our back – the Amber Army was so loud today.”
Kamwa’s decisive goal on 68 minutes capped another influential display from the winger, with Fuchs pleased to see his efforts rewarded.
“It was a great moment for Bobby Kamwa. He hit the goal because of the wind, but I am really pleased.”
“It helps when he has those moments. Bobby has so much quality on the ball. He might have had a penalty [earlier]. He was already through, so why would he go down? But he doesn’t stop. He takes on players and is very unpredictable. He can go on the outside and inside. I am really happy for him today.”
Reflecting on the overall performance, Fuchs added, “We had one or two chances in the first half. But the boys pushed forward and continued to play and put the ball in the right areas. We continued to apply pressure to their back line. We didn’t stop. That’s what I love about my team, they kept going.”
