Fired-up County number two Mark Smith has insisted every match on the Exiles' 14-game run-in is now a proverbial six-pointer.
Smith gazed on horrified as a couple of late, devastating defensive lapses allowed Cambridge's Liam Bennett and substitute Sullay Kaikai to steal crucial points away from the Port in a contest where betting odds were rubbished for long periods.
County were ranked 19/4 outsiders for the win they might have secured had striker Courtney Baker-Richardson latched onto a golden opportunity moments prior to the two United strikes on 73 and 76 minutes.
Smith, who had stepped in for ill Newport chief Christian Fuchs on the day, reflected: "We looked alright in the game for 65-70 minutes. But our defending has cost us again. The boys have to learn from this. In football you go down, but then must rebuild. You need characters on the pitch. When you go a goal down you need to stick together. You don't feel sorry for yourself, you fight. It was that period of five minutes where the game got away from us. It's not the first time this has happened.
"When we go a goal down we can't allow things to affect us so much. This is the third time since we came in this has happened, the result changing within three or four minutes. When we make errors we seem to go into our shell a bit. We need to say, come on, there is still plenty of time to put things right."
Smith acknowledged the result might have been so different if County could have gone in front via an Anthony Glennon to Baker-Richardson set-piece combination in the 71st minute. He said: "We know when we get our chances we must take them. We get a lead and we must keep that lead. We have addressed this in the dressing room.
"For a big spell in this game today they were worried. The players are giving us everything, you saw that with the result at Salford last Tuesday. We are not where we want to be, but there is time to put things right."
County are still just three points adrift of 22nd-placed Barrow, who they meet at Holker Street on the last day of the season. Fellow strugglers Crawley and Harrogate will visit NP19 within a tense schedule following the two home games against Tranmere and Colchester in the seven days after the away trip to Fleetwood next Saturday.
Said Smith: "We are not counting down the games, but we have enough home games left to pick up the points we need. We have a game in hand. Now to find that consistency. We play teams around us too."
There is little doubt County's match-day preparation was disrupted, with manager Fuchs struck down late with illness overnight.
Said Smith: "I spoke to him this morning. He was gutted he couldn't be here. But I have known him a long time, he wasn't right. I am going to talk to him again shortly."
Injuries to left back Tom Davies and right-sided defender Joe Thomas during the match derailed County too. Smith reflected: "Obviously, we then needed to change our shape. It wasn't ideal. I think we are feeling the effects of a hard winter. Now we need to get players back for that final push."
Newport face seven home games and seven away, the sequence that will ultimately decide if the threat of demotion to the National League can be averted.
But failure is not in Smith's vocabulary. He boomed: "We picked up eight points at Rodney Parade coming into this clash today. Now we need to find the consistency at home. When this place is rocking, we can use that. If we can find the consistency, we'll be fine.
"There are 14 games to go. Now we must put things right against the opposition we have left, having come through a tough sequence of games against clubs at the top of the table. I knew this tough period would not define our season. Home games must now be turned into points. Every game now must be seen as a six-pointer."
