Head coach Nelson Jardim admitted it was a tough day for his team as Newport County suffered a 4-1 defeat to Port Vale at Rodney Parade.
Jardim saw his side reduced to nine men after Ciaran Brennan and Kyle Jameson both saw red as Vale coasted to victory in the end.
And having also lost Shane McLoughlin within the first five minutes through injury, it was a day to forget after three straight league wins.
“Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong today,” said Jardim. “From the beginning, we had to take off Shane, so I had to disrupt my back five and they immediately scored after that.
“We understand that we must improve, especially in how we control our emotions. The boys got too emotional which resulted in the red cards. I don’t think we managed the game the way we should.
“In the last 25 minutes of the match you could see the effort the boys were putting in; to not concede when you’re down to nine men is a positive because it shows the character of the squad.
“We’re not perfect. What we can do now is come back together in training and work on improving for the future.’’
Jardim expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the unwavering support from the Newport County fans. He was immensely proud that, even when times were tough, the fans never abandoned the team.
“I'd like to dedicate my last words to the fans; they were outstanding today. They could see the boys trying to get back into the game.
"Today was a really bad day, but they did not stop. We could feel their energy and support until the very end. Thank you.’’