We're still on track – County boss rallies the troops (From South Wales Argus)

We're still on track – County boss rallies the troops

9:20am Thursday 6th September 2012 in Sport By Andrew Penman

COUNTY V STOCKPORT (Saturday, KO 3pm)

NEWPORT County AFC manager Justin Edin-burgh insists his side are well on course to match their pre-season target despite two successive defeats.

County conceded a last minute winner to slip to a 2-1 loss at Dartford on Tuesday, just three days after their 2-0 defeat at Wrexham.

The Exiles are still third in the Blue Square Bet Premier table after winning their first five games and Edinburgh says his players are performing above expectations.

“We got off to a flyer and I didn’t want people to get carried away. We were probably never going to win this league,” he said.

“Our target is the top half of this league and we’re well in the top half.

“We’ve had a good start and been very consistent but the last two games we’ve probably dropped below expectations and the standards we set ourselves.

“But we have been in the game in the two defeats. That’s pleasing because at times last year we lost and we never looked like getting a win.”

County are just two points behind new leaders Forest Green Rovers but Edinburgh knows that his side need to stop the rot at home to Stockport County on Saturday.

“We’re at home on Saturday and we need to get the crowd behind us and show that we can get a result,” said the Exiles boss.

“As quickly as you can go on a winning run you can go on a losing run and we need to nip that in the bud.

“We’ve got to continue to play our football and build on that and trust that it’ll come good again.”

Edinburgh felt his players were naive in going for the win at Dartford rather than settling for a point but he doesn’t see the need for too many changes on Saturday.

“I didn’t think we looked jaded,” he said. “We were always in the ascendency and took the game to Dartford from start to finish.

“We haven’t got a big squad and people can’t be unrealistic. We won the first five games but two defeats have brought us back down to earth and we’ll regroup and go again.

“It’s a new group; we’ve only been together for a few months. We’re disappointed but we’re not downhearted or downbeat because we looked a good side and dominated possession.”