NEWPORT County AFC manager Graham Westley has expressed his delight at his new forward additions and insists these are the players to take the club forward.

The Exiles boss snapped up Aaron Williams from Peterborough United and Janaai Gordon on loan from West Ham United.

Williams, who has signed an 18-month contract, made his debut in Monday’s 2-1 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers.

Despite not getting a result at Adams Park, Westley said he was pleased with the striker’s contribution.

“It wasn’t easy to be up front on the end of our play,” he said.

“I think Aaron showed that he’s the workhorse that I know he is. I think his work ethic for the team was fantastic.

“I thought he was determined and his aerial ability and his hold up play will improve as his match-fitness comes.”

Westley has worked with Williams before, during his spell in the dugout at Peterborough, and he believes Williams is a player that County need.

“I think he made a solid start, a dependable start and the type of start that his teammates will look at and think ‘I like the look of him’.”

On fellow forward addition Gordon, Westley believes it won’t be long before the County faithful see their new striker.

“He arrived on Sunday and he’s only had 30 minutes on the training ground with the lads,” he explained.

“That’s nowhere near long enough for a young lad to get familiar with your set-pieces, your pattern of play and the team he’s going to play in.

“And now Rhys [Healey] has gone back Janaai will start to come into contention.”

The two new additions to the team have been brought in to fill the void left by Rhys Healey, who has returned to Cardiff City.

On Healey, Westley acknowledged that speculation of the player’s next club affected the player.

“I think he lost his way and lost his focus and that’s a lesson to him,” said the manager.

“Hopefully it will happen to him again in his career where things are going in the right direction and you’ve got to respect your team at that time.

“It mustn’t become an individual scenario in those circumstances and I hope he’s learned a lot from that whole situation.”

Despite this, Westley did have praise for the 22-year-old.

“He’s learning and I’ve wished him all the best in going back to Cardiff,” he added.

“I sincerely hope that he steps on and the lessons that we’ve talked about here will come to fruit in his career in the Championship.”