Newport County manager Hayden Mullins says his side must carry the momentum from their impressive opening-day victory into Saturday's Severnside Derby against Bristol Rovers.
County began their League Two campaign with a 3-0 victory over Rochdale at Rodney Parade last weekend, producing the positive and aggressive performance Mullins had demanded from his players.
Now, with a sold-out away end awaiting them at the Memorial Stadium, Mullins is looking for more of the same.
"As you can imagine, it's bright, it's upbeat, which is good," Mullins said of the mood around the squad this week.
"I think we need to use that. It's hard enough as it is winning games in this division, but when you win them and there was the result and the performance that we put in, it was really good.
"We've got to try and use that, use that momentum, that feel-good factor, and we've got to try and take it into the game Saturday."
The opening-day victory was exactly the start Mullins had hoped for after asking his side to be positive, front-footed and aggressive both in and out of possession.
"It was a great feeling," he said.
"The one thing we did on Saturday, we wanted to be positive, wanted to be front-footed, wanted to be aggressive in and out of possession.
"We wanted to lay a marker down, but we knew it would have been a tough game against Rochdale. We knew they had points that they racked up the season before. We knew they were a good side.
"If we sat off them and we let them come to our place and dictate the game, like we knew they could do, it could have been a tough game.
"Very important to obviously get off to a winning start. Like I said before, we have to use that momentum and take it into this game Saturday because, as good as it was last Saturday, it's gone now. But we have to use that feeling and that momentum in the next game."
Mullins was pleased with the way his players executed the game plan, particularly during the first half, when County put Rochdale under sustained pressure.
"We've got a good group of players and I think they showed that Saturday," he said.
"The energy they put in, the hard work and the graft they put in, they can get results.
"The big thing is it comes from us as a team, as an eleven out there on the pitch. We've all got to work together, we've all got to stick to what we're doing.
"I think if we do that, like we showed Saturday, we're a tough team to play against. We need to get the balls in the right areas of the pitch and we need to put the opposition under pressure.
"Saturday, I thought we did that really well. I thought we looked after the second ball really well in the first half and we had them on the back foot for large periods of the first half."
The County boss did acknowledge that his side dropped deeper after the break while protecting their two-goal advantage, but stressed that his players must maintain their positive approach.
"The second half we came out and, for whatever reason, we kind of sat back a little bit. Maybe protecting the lead," he said.
"We were 2-0 up, some experienced boys in there and obviously know how to see games out.
"But we're sure that if we come Saturday, whatever the result looks like, we want to be positive in whatever we're doing, in and out of possession."
Mullins has now had a more settled period on the training ground to work his ideas into the squad following his whirlwind arrival at the club.
"I think they've taken it on board pretty simply and pretty easily," he said.
"I think you've seen, obviously, with the game on Saturday, some of the ideas that we want to get into the boys, they've received really well.
"It's exactly how I want to try and be and set up this season.
"I know it'll be a tough, long season. I know we have to pick our moments and we can't do it for 95 minutes, but we want to try and press the opposition. We want to try and get the ball back. We want to be aggressive and we want our attacking players to affect the game."
The Severnside Derby will provide a very different challenge, with Bristol Rovers looking to respond after losing their opening league fixture.
Mullins has watched Rovers and expects Steve Evans' side to come out strongly.
"I don't expect anything else," he said.
"Steve Evans' teams are always tough to play against and I think after the weekend he'd definitely want to try and get a response in.
"I watched the game. I think they look solid. They look a good team. They've got energy.
"I expect nothing less than a tough game, and especially the first 10, 15 minutes. I'm sure it'll be quite a quick game and they'll look to try and impose their game on us.
"It's down to us to stand up to that.
"Again, I'm sure it'll be a tough, tough game, tough afternoon, and if we do get a result there, it would be through a lot of hard work and a bit of a battle, I'm sure."
County will have significant backing from the stands, with the away end sold out ahead of the derby.
Mullins has already been impressed by the support he has experienced since taking charge and believes the atmosphere at the Memorial Stadium can give his players another lift.
"The support since I've been in, I've been told, has been brilliant," he said.
"The noise on Saturday was brilliant, well received by the players and obviously the staff, and we really appreciate the support.
"I'm sure they'd be there in numbers on Saturday and it'd be equally as loud. I think the atmosphere would be brilliant.
"I think it'd be a good place for us to go and test ourselves and play. It'll be nice and tight and compact out of position and be a threat on the counterattack, maybe in possession.
"It'd be a great atmosphere and I'm sure we'll hear our support. Like I keep saying, we've got to give them something to shout about as well."
Despite the derby status of the fixture, Mullins insists preparation has remained largely unchanged.
"With us, we've just tried to focus on areas of the game where we feel we can have an impact," he said.
"I think that's our main thing really, just keeping the players grounded and keeping them as close to the same preparation as we were on Saturday.
"Obviously there are different things and different elements we look at. I think it's for everyone else to maybe get carried away with.
"I think we've got a job to do. Hopefully the boys will be focused on what they're doing and we can really, really give them a tough game and apply our game on the Saturday and get the result."
Mullins believes the derby atmosphere is something his players can embrace, but says discipline will be just as important as aggression.
"It does feel like a derby game," he said.
"When you know the number of fans that you're taking to the game and you know what it feels like, it does feel like a derby game.
"A lot of the boys speak well of it. It's just over the bridge and it's a close one.
"So it does feel a little bit like a derby game, definitely. I think it's one where we're hoping that we can get a positive result."
He added: "A lot of energy and a lot of talk happens before the game and there's a lot of things going on, a lot of fans turning up. We know that.
"But we've got a job to do. We've got to focus on what we do well.
"If we can go there and do that, like I keep saying, we hope we can get a positive result.
"The players that are on the pitch, in the squad and on the bench, those lads have got the responsibility of making all that happen.
"My job is making sure they're focused and they're focused on the task in hand."
With the game likely to start at a high tempo, Mullins knows County will have to match Rovers' intensity while remaining controlled.
"It's got to be calmness," he said.
"Obviously aggression in the right areas and in the right things that we talk about. That's what we'll be trying to do.
"It'll be a tough game. Steve Evans' team are well drilled, well marshalled. I'm sure he'll make sure they're in the right place to really give us a tough game."
There are no fresh injury concerns from the Rochdale victory, with Kieron Evans and James Crole the two players currently dealing with longer-term issues.
"James is a longer-term one, I think, so we have to give that a little bit more time before we actually really find out when he's on the grass back training," Mullins said.
"Kieron is one where we're sort of trying to get his ankle in the right place to be able to get out and train. He hasn't been out on the grass this week.
"He had a scan on Wednesday, so I think we're awaiting the results of the scan. Once we get the scan back, then we know where we go with Kieron.
"It's been a bit of a tricky one for him, which is a shame because I think he's a player that could really help us."
Mullins also confirmed that Newport County remain active in the transfer market, with the club looking to add competition and depth to the squad before the window closes.
"A little bit, yeah," he said when asked about progress.
"I think we're coming into maybe the last week of the window, so there's meetings ongoing, there's chats with players. So it's pretty positive.
"Like I say, we are looking to try and bring in a couple. We do need it.
"I think the group is a very good group and they're in a good place, but we do need competition and a little bit of depth and, yeah, we're definitely trying to add.
"Hopefully in the next coming days or week or so, you see some players coming."
For Mullins, however, the immediate focus is firmly on Bristol Rovers and building on the start County have made.
"We've got to try and use that momentum," he said.
"Take that feeling and that momentum into the next game."
Newport County travel to Bristol Rovers on Saturday, August 22, with kick-off at 12.30pm.
Watch the full interview below.
