WHAT a difference a week makes. This time seven days ago Newport County AFC were basking in the glow of a stunning 3-0 win at Notts County.

Graham Westley’s youthful team were out of the bottom two and the optimists were eyeing the League Two play-off positions.

A week on, after a 1-0 home defeat to Wycombe Wanderers and Saturday’s 4-1 thumping at Blackpool, the pessimists are predicting certain relegation for the inexperienced Exiles.

Such is the topsy-turvy life of a football supporter and County fans in particular this season.

The amber army passed the famous Pleasure Beach on the way to Bloomfield Road and the 90 minutes they witnessed matched all the ups and downs of the Big Dipper.

And, like most rollercoaster rides, it left them feeling sick at the end and in need of a lie down.

The signs were not good before the match with captain Scot Bennett’s suspension, coupled with injuries to Jamie Turley and Kyle Cameron, meaning Ben Tozer was shifted to the back four.

Tozer has been a vital part of the Exiles’ recent revival in his defensive midfield role and the switch weakened the side in defence and midfield.

He looked slightly uncomfortable at the back and Darren Jones missed Bennett alongside him, while the midfield was too open with Jack Jebb, Mark Randall, Sean Rigg and Josh Sheehan all looking to go forward.

The changes also seemed to unsettle goalkeeper Joe Day, who gifted Blackpool’s Brad Potts a goal in the fourth minute with a calamitous clearance.

To their credit County didn’t let that setback affect them and Sheehan, Rigg and Rhys Healey, assisted by Randall, Jebb, Jazzi Barnum-Bobb and Dan Butler, set about the home defence with relish.

Healey’s equaliser, created by Sheehan and finished with aplomb by the Cardiff City striker, was the very least they deserved after dominating the 30 minutes after Potts’ opener.

But County were hanging on in the closing stages of the first half as Gary Bowyer’s men served warning of what they are capable of when their tails are up at home.

Jamille Matt, a tormentor of the Exiles in the past, felt he should have won a penalty and Colin Daniel saw a shot deflected onto the inside of Day’s post.

It seemed only a matter of time before the hosts took charge but the outcome might have been very different if Rigg’s penalty hadn’t been superbly saved by Sam Slocombe on 54 minutes.

An injury to Barnum-Bobb soon afterwards meant Westley had no option but to hand Abdoulaye Meite, his Black Friday bargain, a debut from the bench.

It wouldn’t be fair to blame the defeat on the Ivory Coast international but his half clearance led to Jack Payne’s goal to put the hosts 2-1 up and he was too easily beaten by Kyle Vassell for the third.

He’s clearly some way off his best in his current condition.

Kelvin Mellor headed a fourth late on as the visitors lost hope and it could have been more as the Seasiders’ sent wave after wave of attack towards Day’s goal.

The final whistle was a great relief and County will be glad of a blank midweek schedule that will enable them to regroup, refresh, recuperate and recharge before next week’s FA Cup clash at leaders Plymouth Argyle.

The rollercoaster ride goes on and there are plenty more ups and downs to come for County and their fans between now and May.

County: Day; Barnum-Bobb (Meite, 58), Jones, Tozer, Butler; Randall (Compton, 76), Jebb, Sheehan, Rigg; O’Hanlon (Myrie-Williams, 61), Healey

Subs not used: Bittner, Green, Owen-Evans, Wood

Booked: Jebb, Randall, Sheehan, Jones

Referee: Mark Heywood

Attendance: 3,062 (444 County)