Ben Tozer 'massively important' to Newport County

The defensive midfielder has played a crucial role as the Exiles put together a seven-match unbeaten run that was only ended by an 88th-minute winner for Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night.

Loan stars Josh Sheehan and Rhys Healey have grabbed the headlines and the plaudits but Tozer’s work in protecting the defence and launching attacks has been vital according to teammate Darren Jones.

“He’s massively important,” said the centre-back. “He just stops everything coming through to me and Benno [captain Scot Bennett].

“His athleticism is unbelievable; he fills in at right-back, left-back, he’s pressing high up the pitch.”

Westley is a big fan of Tozer, insisting he “looks like a Championship player all over,” on his arrival in Newport last month.

And Jones agrees. “He’s really too good for this level,” he added.

The Exiles notched up three clean sheets in four successive wins before Tuesday’s setback and Jones says their improved form is the result of hard work on the training pitch.

“I’m not surprised that things are going well,” said the 33-year-old.

“The performances that we’ve been putting in shows the work we’re putting in on the training ground. We’re going in the right direction.”

And Jones feels that if County can shut out Blackpool tomorrow they can notch up another win – such is the goal scoring form of Sheehan, Healey and Sean Rigg up front.

“As a defender we always want a clean sheet and if we achieve that we have got midfielders and strikers in the side that can score goals,” he said.

“If we can keep clean sheets I’m sure we will climb the table.”

Tozer puts the improvement in form down to the new manager adding a ruthless streak to the side that was missing at times during Warren Feeney’s reign.

“We’ve got to be ruthless in front of goal and ruthless when we’re defending,” he said.

“It’s down to hard work on the training ground, all the lads sticking together and buying into everything the gaffer says.”