Nick Townsend: Newport County want League Two top three spot

The 27-year-old is currently the first man on the Exiles' teamsheet after getting the nod ahead of rival Joe Day.

Townsend has started 10 games on the spin after taking his chance when his teammate tested positive for coronavirus at the start of the year.

The West Midlander is battling Day after spending last season scrapping with Tom King, who got the nod for the run-in. Townsend doesn't want to be watching on in this promotion battle.

"I've missed out on a few big games, I've been to Wembley a few times and been on the bench for all of them!" said the 'keeper, who missed out to Day against Tranmere and King against Morecambe after being Barnsley's back-up for their League One play-off triumph in 2016.

"I am taking it game by game and there is no point getting ahead of myself because there are a lot of fixtures coming up."

FULL STRETCH: Nick Townsend pulled off some terrific saves at Forest Green

County host second-placed Tranmere on Saturday before Newport fixtures against leaders Forest Green Rovers and fellow play-off hopefuls Bristol Rovers.

County slipped out of the top seven with a battling draw against in-form Mansfield at the weekend but are still chasing automatic promotion.

"That's the dream! We will aim as high as we can," said Townsend. "I feel like we have always had quality throughout the seasons and we have improved every year.

"You can tell we are progressing as a club. We are going from strength to strength and that is credit to everyone behind the scenes."

"It's so tight at the moment," he continued. "Forest Green still look like they are going to get away but if we have a few good results then who knows what we can do.

"We just have to take it game by game, get our heads down and focus on Tranmere. There are a lot of big teams around us and we just have to play our own game and show what we can do."

County have are in the middle of a tough run against fellow contenders and after losing at Forest Green and Northampton have had to settle for a share of the spoils against resurgent Oldham and in-form Mansfield.

The Stags bossed the first half at Rodney Parade before a dramatic finale when Townsend was wrong-footed by a deflection, the visitors were reduced to 10 men after a scuffle, Dom Telford levelled from the spot and then the Exiles pushed for a late winner.

County 'keeper Nick Townsend

"Every time that we are at home we want to win. Looking back it was probably a good draw," said Townsend.

"The goal was a bit of a sickener, it's annoying because we were in control and dealing with the conditions. The lads showed great character to come back and that shows how we want to go.

"We stayed in the game and got a point out of it. If we had been beaten it would have been a kick in the teeth.

"That's what we've got to do at this time of the season in tough conditions. We've got to stay in games, pick up points and keep going."