STILL winless at Conference National level but also unbeaten in three, how you assess Newport County’s campaign will depend very much on whether you’re a glass half-full or half-empty kind.

Throwing away a two-goal lead at home to Histon was a worrying sign that County are still naïve at this level, making mistakes that couldn’t be more costly at crucial times.

As we’re on the bad, let’s stick here a moment, County still failing to hit their stride this season after an opening 25 minutes to the campaign at Darlington where they played like a group who don’t believe they belong at this level.

That cost them a minimum return of a point at the Northern Echo Arena and the hangover remained for Tamworth at home, County doing enough to win the game, but not before they’d fallen behind and made life tricky for themselves.

That’s the negative way to look at things.

On the positive, County are now unbeaten in three and improving with every passing performance (literally, the Exiles now playing their more fluent, on the floor style rather than the long ball mess at Darlington).

Dean Holdsworth’s side battered Histon last Saturday and only poor finishing cost them a first three points at this level. As I said at the time, they’ll kick themselves for that.

But what a way to bounce back. Make no mistake, at the end of the campaign we will still be talking about the fabulous point County earned at Luton Town.

It’s pretty amazing to think that around the time that the Ironsiders ceased to exist at the same level they’re at now, Luton were finishing in the top ten of Division One, reaching the FA Cup semi final and winning the League Cup against Arsenal.

In terms of budget, support and expectation, Luton are giants in this division, even with all the ex-Football League sides in the mix.

A visit to Kenilworth Road was potentially destructive for Dean Holdsworth’s men, the last thing they needed after three successive games without victory.

But if ever a draw felt like a win, this was it. This is a result that will create fabulous momentum and should quell any remaining doubts the Exiles have about whether they belong at this level.

Man for man, County have proven in four games that they have little to fear from Conference National football. It’s not a case of asking if Luton are the benchmark, because they are.

County have gone and competed with a side certain to be in the mix for promotion, faced up to a cauldron atmosphere and showed resilience and defiance.

Not an ounce of effort is wasted and no player ever leaves anything out there. What’s pleasing for Holdsworth is that even if his players have individual off-days, no player ever shirks his responsibilities and no player lacks for effort.

That’s probably because Newport County are that rare thing, a good side that doesn’t have a star player.

If you asked ten County fans who their best player is, you’d get five or six different answers. That bodes well.

The current points tally of three points from 12 is a disappointment, but on performances the Exiles could easily have eight or even ten points.

However, it won’t take much, once that first win is out the way, to see Newport rocketing up the table.

Things are closely bunched, Luton still leading the way, as no side has been able to win all four of their opening games.

That suggests the Conference will be much like the Football League, and in particular the Championship, each side capable of beating everyone else on their day.

The old cliché of winning becoming a habit rings true, it’s vital that County get a maximum as quickly as possible and capitalise on the momentum of the Luton result.

I have little doubt they’ll do it and every ounce of confidence garnered at Kenilworth Road needs to go into the Kidderminster performance.

If the Exiles create as many chances as they did against Histon, they’ll be almost unbeatable at fortress Spytty.

Six to eight games is usually a good barometer to begin looking properly at the table and I have high hopes that by then, County will be midway, looking up rather than down.

All eyes will be on Colin Montgomerie this Sunday as he finalises his Ryder Cup side worried, as most captains are at this time every two years, that the numbers simply don’t add up.

At the very best, he’s got to cut one of four men, all in the top 22 in the world.

Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Justin Rose and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington are all out of the standings and relying on a captain’s pick, and Monty only has three. And none of them are going to be at the final qualifying event at Gleneagles this week to support one of the biggest events on the European Tour.

However, I wouldn’t be astonished if Monty ends up ignoring more than one of his big four currently out of the side.

With Swede Peter Hanson and Italian Francesco Molinari likely to make the side, I would suggest fellow Swede Robert Karlsson and Francesco’s brother Eduardo Molinari remain in contention, particularly as they will both play at Gleneagles.

Monty faces some really tough decisions and I think this is one thing he shouldn’t be criticised too greatly for.

If he opts for his bigger name players one can’t really blame him as the key, of course, is picking those who will potentially earn the most points.

However, if Monty is brave enough to snub a Casey for a Molinari, he deserves credit for being strong enough to keep his word that he “expected” players on the fringes to attend the final qualifying event.

In terms of pairs for Friday and Saturday, Molinari and Karlsson make sense as partners for the two rookies mentioned above.

It’s going to be fascinating to see, but if Donald, Casey, Harrington or Rose do miss out, they only have themselves to blame.