DEFENDER Billy Jones is once again at the end of his monthly contract with Newport County AFC after Saturday’s trip to Portsmouth, writes Andrew Penman.

The 30-year-old is hoping to agree an extension to his stay at Rodney Parade having played an important role since he joined as a free agent in September.

Jones was initially brought in to cover for the absence of left wing-back Andy Sandell but, having also covered at centre-back, he is hoping to extend his stay even though Sandell is now back from injury.

“The contract is up after this game so we’ll have to wait and see,” said Jones, who hasn’t featured since coming on as a late substitute against Hartlepool on November 15.

“I know I was only brought in short term but hopefully I’ve done well enough to earn something longer.”

Jones argues that the back-to-back cup defeats to Kidderminster Harriers and Peterborough United could be a good thing for the Exiles’ League Two promotion hopes.

“We’ve had some bad results in the cups but, as the gaffer said the other night, there are no distractions now and we can concentrate on the league,” he said.

“The aim is promotion now. We want to take maximum points from every game we can.”

That will mean improving an away record that shows only one league victory away from Rodney Parade this season.

“Our home form has been really good and we’ve just got to make sure now that we turn good performances into wins away from home,” said Jones.

“I think we should have won at Cheltenham and Oxford – we had the better chances – and they didn’t really create much.

“But we were resilient and came away with good points and come the end of the season we could be looking back on them as very valuable. I’m sure we’ll be there or thereabouts in May.”

He added: “Portsmouth are a massive club and realistically they’re not a League Two team but we’ve just got to go there and keep doing what we’re doing and keep believing in what we’re doing.”