MANAGER Graham Westley believes there are five other teams in the League Two relegation battle with Newport County AFC.

County remain bottom of the table – four points from safety with a game in hand – despite a six-game unbeaten run.

But Westley is pleased that his side has closed the gap on 19th-placed Hartlepool United over the last month.

The Exiles boss believes Pools, now managed by former Cardiff City boss Dave Jones, are top of the mini-league of six teams that could go down.

The other teams between them and Westley’s men are Accrington Stanley, Notts County, Cheltenham Town and Leyton Orient.

“I think the players have done fabulously well to recover a difficult situation and build a platform to go forward from,” said the Exiles boss, who takes his side to mid-table Cambridge United tomorrow.

“They’ve worked phenomenally hard to come together as a group, to adapt and take on board an organisation to play some tough games and come through with something from every game.

“They’ve won a point or more in every game in the last six and huge credit to them, I think they’ve been fantastic and I can only see them going from strength to strength.”

He added: “We were 10 points adrift of 19th six games ago and now we’re six points adrift.

“That’s really good progress. I’d have taken that six games ago.

“And if over the next six games we gain another four points over 19th I’d take it.

“We might go and get four draws and two wins or another five draws and one win.

“Hopefully we can do better than that but I certainly would take that.

“It’s all about stepping stones. The club over a long period of time had lost a lot of football matches – don’t forget that.

“We made an enormous amount of change in the window, it was necessary and there was every chance that we wouldn’t get it right.

“I think we have got an enormous amount right to get to where we are.

“We’re making good progress and I’m enjoying working with them.

“I do think we’re going to get better and I’m looking forward to the games ahead.”

Having added 13 new faces to the squad since January 1 and ended a run of eight successive defeats in League Two, Westley is relishing the challenge of trying to save County from relegation.

And he feels that he and his squad are not receiving enough credit for their recent upturn in form.

“I love being a professional football manager but if you’re at the helm of a football club there’s always somebody who wants to bring you down,” he said.

“Whatever you’re doing or achieving at the top end or the bottom end there’s always someone who wants to look at the negative side.

“People say we’re six unbeaten but… he’s not doing this or we’re six unbeaten but… he could have done that.

“I’ve got a mind-set that is constructive, does look at what’s being achieved and, honestly, from where we were I think we’ve taken some huge strides forward.

“It doesn’t feel tough to me at all,” he added. “You have to work hard if you’re going to achieve anything whether you’re at the top end or the bottom.

“You have to work hard constantly – that’s the nature of the job and I’m enjoying it.”