NEWPORT County AFC are now 11 points from safety at the bottom of League Two after a shocking 4-0 home defeat to 23rd-placed Leyton Orient at Rodney Parade. Here's what we learned...
1. The Great Escape now A Bridge Too Far?
Until yesterday there was still hope for the Exiles, who could point to some poor refereeing decisions and the fact that they were at least competitive.
But after losing the battle of the bottom two – a must-win game – 4-0 at home it’s hard to see a way back from the brink of relegation.
2. Fans right to question selection
A Graham Westley team sheet always takes some working out and this one drew particular criticism from a lot of fans.
David Pipe and Josh Sheehan were both sidelined by injury but the switch to a back four, the selection of six defenders and the surprise recall for Marlon Jackson (above) were all decisions that simply did not pay off.
3. Defence too slow for Orient Express
Darren Jones and Sid Nelson (above) were both replaced at half-time as County chased the game but the damage had been done in the first half.
Nelson looked ill at ease as a makeshift right-back, Jones struggled to cope with the teenage tearaways in the visitors’ front line, Mark O’Brien seemed short of fitness and Mickey Demetriou looked in need of a rest.
4. Pressure too much for some
Westley suggested afterwards that a lot of his players failed to deal with the pressure of the situation and the enormity of the occasion against Orient.
Some fans believe that the players don’t care enough about the club’s fate but the manager believes it was the exact opposite here and they all looked deeply hurt as they trudged out of the dressing room well after 6pm yesterday.
5. Westley has to prove doubters wrong
There was no mistaking what many fans thought of the manager during and after the match and Westley admitted that the fans were right to be angry.
His post-match comments tell us that he still sees himself as part of the solution rather than part of the problem but the table doesn’t lie and, even if he can’t keep County up, he needs to prove between now and the end of the campaign that he is the man who can revive the club’s fortunes.
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