NEWPORT County AFC may well be heading for relegation but let’s not write them off just yet.

The table does not lie; five wins in 31 games is undoubtedly relegation form.

And County’s struggles are not a new problem – they have been on a downward spiral ever since Justin Edinburgh headed for the exit just over two years ago.

The Exiles have earned only 87 points from a possible 294 since Edinburgh departed for Gillingham – with just 20 wins in 98 league games.

So to pin the blame solely on manager Graham Westley seems illogical.

Yes, he has been in charge since October. And yes, he did oversee a woeful run of eight successive league defeats.

But results have improved in recent weeks since he brought in his own players.

And the unbeaten run of six games, during which his team boasted the meanest defence in the division, offered hope that they can get out of the hole they are in.

Saturday’s last-gasp defeat at Cambridge United, in a match they had led 2-0, was a hammer blow but it needn’t be a fatal one.

The hosts dominated throughout and deserved their win but County would have picked up another point and extended their unbeaten run to seven matches were it not for a highly debatable stoppage-time penalty decision.

It was the kind of unfortunate incident that happens when you’re at the bottom and it certainly wasn’t the first time that County have suffered late heartbreak this season.

But now is not the time for the players or the fans to feel sorry for themselves and throw in the towel.

In the wake of Saturday’s result – and for weeks and months in some cases – I’ve seen comments from people who call themselves County supporters suggesting that relegation is a certainty.

Their argument seems to be ‘we are down so why bother fighting it? Let’s start preparing now for life in back in the Conference’.

Some might say that is just realism rather than pessimism and the stats would suggest that County’s four-year stay in the Football League is nearing an end.

But they certainly aren’t down yet. There are 15 games to go and 45 points still to play for and true supporters will not give up hope until relegation is mathematically certain.

As demonstrated by Michael Flynn and David Pipe – guys who genuinely love the club – the players will not be giving up the fight and as long as there is still a chance of survival that should be the attitude in the stands as well.

Some fans even put forward the theory that the club would be better off back in non-league football.

It’s true that since Les Scadding walked away the club has not had the money to compete with the big boys in League Two.

And the current board of directors seem to have accepted the need for investment from outside the Supporters Trust.

Given the budget that the Exiles have to work with and the lack of professional off-the-field structure highlighted by Westley at the recent AGM it is a minor miracle that the club has survived as long as it has in League Two.

County have been punching above their weight but be careful what you wish for – the last time the club lost their League status it took 25 years to reclaim it.

As I wrote last week, if Westley was to remain as manager I’d be confident that he could spearhead a promotion challenge next season.

Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham Town and Barnet have all come straight back up after retaining their managers following relegation in recent seasons and John Still could repeat the trick at Dagenham & Redbridge this season.

But the plight of Wrexham, Aldershot Town, Macclesfield Town, Torquay United, Chester City and countless others proves that success is by no means guaranteed for sides relegated from League Two.

It could be another quarter of a century before we see the Exiles in amongst the elite 92 clubs in the country.

That’s why now is not the time to give up on Westley’s men.

They need the full support of the fans if they are to pull off the Great Escape.

Everyone needs to pull together and dwindling crowds and jeers rather than cheers will not help the situation.

It may be expensive and the entertainment value at Rodney Parade is unlikely to be high on the much-maligned pitch.

But if the supporters can inspire the team to claw their way out of trouble it will be priceless.