GOALKEEPER Nick Townsend says Newport County AFC owe it to the Amber Army to dig deep against Accrington on Tuesday and finish the season on a high.

The Exiles are floundering and suffered a fourth League Two defeat on the spin when beaten 1-0 at relegation-threatened Grimsby on Saturday.

Graham Coughlan’s side were on the fringes of the play-offs but have dropped out of contention after the Mariners followed Barrow, Colchester and Crawley in taking the spoils.

It has still been a strong campaign after County were tipped by many to be in the relegation scrap but stalwart Townsend doesn’t want the season to finish on a sour note.

They face a run of three games at Rodney Parade with Accrington this evening followed by Tranmere on Saturday and then Salford before a final-day trip to Bradford.

County’s efforts have been appreciated by the Amber Army but they will demand hunger and desire from their side after four flat performances on the spin.

South Wales Argus: Newport County goalkeeper Nick TownsendNewport County goalkeeper Nick Townsend (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

“Our home form is what has kept us going, especially with how the fans are there,” said Townsend. “That's been the main thing to get us where we are today.

“We know how hostile it can be at Rodney Parade and we want it to be a fortress. We want to give back to the fans and make sure they go out on a high.”

County manager Coughlan set his squad the target of matching last season’s points tally of 57.

They remain two points shy of that and Townsend, who has been part of promotion-chasing Newport sides, believes one more win would help show that they have made strides in 2023/24.

“You don't always get what you deserve but as a group we need to show that we are improving each year,” said the ‘keeper, who has been a player of the season contender thanks to a superb second half of the campaign.

“It's been more or less a new squad and we have come together, so beating last year's tally would help us prove that we are going in the right direction as a club.”

Given last summer’s financial warnings, the loss of the influential quartet of Mickey Demetriou, Cameron Norman, Priestley Farquharson and Aaron Lewis and then two injury crises, Townsend believes it has been a big effort to be in a position where they were on the fringes of the play-offs and clear of danger at the bottom.

“We've had to graft,” he said. “We have all done a job and at the start of the season we'd have snapped your hand off to be where we are.”