NEWPORT County AFC showed more grit and resilience in their EFL Trophy win against West Ham Under-21s after some harsh home truths, coach Dafydd Williams revealed.
The Exiles returned to winning ways with a 1-0 success over the young Hammers thanks to Oliver Greaves’ goal in the 83rd minute.
County now turn their attention to trying to avoid a hat-trick of League Two defeats when they travel to Barrow on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).
Nelson Jardim selected a strong side against West Ham to try and get a reaction from their 4-1 loss to Port Vale and shambolic 4-0 defeat at Swindon, when the hosts scored all their goals in the first half.
“We were bitterly disappointed with the last two league games, especially Saturday,” said assistant head coach Williams.
“Ultimately it was about bouncing back from that and showing grit and resilience that you need to have when representing this club as a non-negotiable.
“We fell short of that on Saturday so it was all about that and the boys delivered. We spoke before the game about those non-negotiables, representing this club, having that winning mentality and competitive edge.
“Some honest words were shared between players and staff at half-time on Saturday and we felt we saw a bit of a difference in the second half, although still not enough.
“It’s important not to forget about that but to learn from it and the lads showed the grit, resilience and commitment against West Ham that you have to show when you put on a Newport County shirt.”
The Exiles certainly aren’t getting carried away and needed a smart save by Nick Townsend, a crucial block by captain Bryn Morris and goalline clearance by Matt Baker to keep a clean sheet.
They now prepare for the long trip to Holker Street to face a Barrow side who have started life under Stephen Clemence impressively.
The Bluebirds have won four from six games and drawn one, when they played the entire second half against Swindon when down to 10 men with an outfield player in goal.
“We said before the West Ham game that we need to use it as a stepping stone for Barrow,” said Williams.
“Winning means we go into this weekend in a more positive frame of mind, but Barrow will be a different challenge.”
EFL TROPHY STATE OF PLAY
After starting the EFL Trophy with a 2-1 loss to Cheltenham, County will head to Reading on November 12 with hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages thanks to Tuesday's win that also netted them £10,000 prize money.
The Royals won 3-1 against the Hammers and travel to Cheltenham on Tuesday, October 8.
The Exiles will know exactly what they need to do to make the regionalised last 32 because the Robins host West Ham's youngsters on October 29.
The group winners are drawn at home in the knockout stages while the runners-up go on their travels.
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