BIG INTERVIEW: County midfielder Max Porter

You need to start winning?

“Of course we do need to start winning. I’d like to sit here and say we are a happy bunch and happy with the chances we are creating, which I do think we have been, but we need to be winning games and we aren’t.

“We would take dire performances if it means points on the board, that’s the stage of the season we are at.

“The way I am looking at it, I am a glass half full guy, but after four games, we had lost them all and people were probably saying ‘oh no.’

“Now we have 11 games left and we are two points off the play-offs. If you look at it that way, we’ve got a great opportunity.”

It is easy to blame the strikers, but they have got to start scoring haven’t they?

“Yeah. Strikers get paid to score goals, that is their job, what they are judged on, that’s the burden that they carry.

“However, it’s Newport County and a nil, one or two next to it or how many we don’t concede. We’d love our strikers to be scoring, but if they aren’t doing it, we have to just find a way to win. We have to stand-up, at home especially. We have an 11 game journey now. And whatever happens, we need to win on Friday night.”

You aren’t getting smashed, which means the importance of scoring at the other end is vital. Two goals will win you most games at the moment?

“Yeah, I am hoping soon that we will beat someone by a couple of goals and that will give us a real boost.

“We need to be solid as a team and get points on the board by keeping clean sheets. We just have to ensure we are grinding out results... and getting points on the board.”

And you need the fans with you?

“Yeah, but it works both ways. I’d like to say we need the fans onside and stick with us and understand it’s been a turbulent time and we have been working hard.

“But we are League Two players and hard work is expected, we’ve been lacking a little quality. Tomorrow night we are going to try and give the fans something to get really behind us about.

“But if things aren’t going well, yes, we need them more than ever.

“If we can give them something to shout about, great. Otherwise we need them to help lift us.”

These two games are a big opportunity for the club?

“Absolutely. No disrespect, but when I arrived we were second bottom of the Conference. We’ve come a long, long way from being on the verge of the Conference South when I arrived.

“Now, we’ve got a massive opportunity to maybe make the play-offs. It’s massive. These two home games are huge and I think it starts tomorrow night. We have to get something.”

On Chris Zebroski?

“I don’t want to talk about Zeb. It’s down to him to talk about that. All I can say is whenever he plays for us, he gives 100%.”

Are these the perfect couple of games? A local derby against a team struggling and then Luton, which means extra to some of the boys who used to play for them?

“Any game coming up are the right games for us, we are desperate to get the points. We can’t pick and choose. We’ve just got to produce.

“But I think it is good they are at home. We’ve made a big thing recently about not getting the results at home, but over the course of the season, our home record has been good.

“Shrewsbury should’ve been a point, Tranmere we should have won, Morecambe was a dire game and again, we probably should have got a point.

“Whether it is luck, or being more solid, it’s very fine lines. Now we’ve got to turn those small margins around. But I’m glad it is two home games. We can put our recent home form to bed with two good results.”

We’ve had a lot said about the pitch, but surely it’s easier for the home side than the away side?

“At the end of the day it’s the same for both teams. The only difference is the way the two teams approach the game.

“As the home team we want to win, the away team will likely be more cautious.

“But there is nothing to stop us playing the way we want. Ok the pitch is looking a bit bare, but compared to last season, it’s bloody brilliant! For me there is no complaint; it’s hard to chase a deficit at any level and on any pitch.

“If we can score first, great, but if we don’t, we have to take this stuff about it not being chasing pitch and put it out of our minds and think, OK, now we need two goals.”

We’ve talked a lot about the strikers, how do the boys feel about adding Robbie Willmott to that discussion, now he’s playing up there?

“He could maybe give us something; he’s not going to play against the backline, as you saw against Stevenage, a horrible game that none of us enjoyed, he finds those little pockets of space and looks to get himself on the half turn.

“He’s probably going to give us something different, something we haven’t had and knowing Robbie, who strikes a great ball, he will get chances and I think he will get goals.

“We can talk all day about what has been going wrong with our strikers, but I see them in training and I back them all to perform for us.”