MANAGER Warren Feeney laid into his players after Newport County AFC suffered a sixth straight defeat – going down 2-1 at Stevenage.

A furious Exiles boss slammed the attitude shown by his team as they slipped to 22nd in League Two.

Alex Rodman made a game of it at the death after he netted in the 87th minute but the visitors were woeful in the first half when Jake Mulraney and former County striker Aaron O’Connor put the hosts 2-0 up and in control.

It could have been more as Medy Elito was lucky not to concede a penalty just before the break.

Substitute Souleymane Coulibaly headed wide on 77 minutes and fellow sub Scott Boden looked to have been fouled in the box in stoppage time but Feeney admitted his side deserved nothing from the game and he pulled no punches post-match.

“I feel like a parrot at the moment because I’m saying the same things every week,” he said.

“We lost the game in the first half today and I can take people having bad games but I can’t take people having no desire and no hunger and unfortunately today in the first half we showed that.

“Without a doubt it was the worst 45 minutes since I’ve been here.

“I don’t want to lose football games,” he added. “You prep them all week, we came up yesterday but players will let you down and I think that’s the modern-day footballer unfortunately.

“It’s a mentality thing for me. You can’t get into a lull of losing football matches and they’ve had it all season unfortunately.

“I’ve every confidence we will stay up but you shouldn’t just be buzzing to stay up.

“It’s the same with Stevenage – two teams at the bottom of the league.

“You should never be happy just to stay in the League.”

Feeney intimated that many members of the squad will have difficulties finding a new club in the summer.

“We’re in that lull and it’s hard to get out of – we can’t get out of it,” he said.

“I think some of them have got their minds on what they’re going to do in the summer.

“But they’ll find it hard. Where do you get the money that footballers get for the hours they work? You ask the fans.

“They’ll never get that money from another job.

“They’ll go on their holidays but, believe me, the penny will drop.

“I don’t want to be known for losing games but we’ll get over the line and I know what I need in the summer.

“It will be a hard pre-season, believe me.”

County are still 11 points above the bottom two and could secure safety on Tuesday when they host promotion-chasing Oxford United at Rodney Parade.

“I want to get it done and dusted as soon as possible,” added Feeney.

“It’s another game ticked off and I’m gutted because I don’t want to be losing football matches but the bigger picture is it’s not my problem if there’s two teams below us – I’d rather that than anything.”