NEW Barnet boss Graham Westley has claimed that he laid the foundations for Newport County AFC to survive relegation from League Two last season.

The Exiles had won once in 18 league games and were 11 points adrift of safety when he was sacked on March 9.

He was replaced by Michael Flynn, who won seven of the final 12 games to steer his hometown club to the Great Escape.

But speaking today in his first press conference as Barnet manager, Westley said: "Everyone puts a spin on what you do before.

"If you go back to the AGM just after the turn of the year, Newport were rooted to the bottom of the Football League and I was very clear there was one way out of it - turning the whole squad over in January.

"I put together a team to function on the bog of a pitch that was Rodney Parade and my strategy is what kept that club in the Football League.

"Yes, it happened under Flynny's management but I think anyone who is honest would say I did a very good job in working out a way of surviving and building a squad that would win the games at home to keep them in the League."