Jenkins support 'badly needed' - Coughlan

Graham Coughlan has been in charge of Newport County since October 2022

Newport County boss Graham Coughlan has welcomed the backing of chairman Huw Jenkins and admitted he “badly needed” his words of support.

Newport go into their final League Two encounter of the season, away to play-off chasing Bradford City, having suffered seven consecutive defeats.

But Jenkins told BBC Radio Wales Sport the manager and his staff had had an “excellent season”.

“That is always nice to hear, it's not easy to back a manager who has not won," said Coughlan.

“I say manager because I don’t blame this on fans or anybody else or circumstances. It’s me at the coal face, it’s me who is sitting in front of you and who is on the training ground.”

This is the worst run of form since Newport suffered eight defeats on the trot under Graham Westley in the 2016-17 season.

In mid-March Coughlan's side were just two points below the play-off places but have fallen off markedly, with a debilitating injury list contributing greatly to poor form.

They are now 17th in the table and still two points short of overhauling last season's final tally.

Jenkins, who took over in January, said he had faith in Coughlan to lead the League Two club into next season.

“Issues, problems all that at the football club, are all my issues, all my problems and it’s up to me to get to the bottom of them and fix them," said Coughlan.

"I am at the forefront of the club so I appreciate a little bit of support at this moment.

“And let me be honest it was badly needed because I needed a bit of support, I needed somebody to help me because it is a very lonely place when you are not winning football matches.”

Newport’s final game of the campaign is a daunting task. They face a Bradford side who have won their last four games to move to ninth in the table, just two points adrift of Barrow, who occupy the seventh and final play-off place.

Coughlan said: “For the club, the fans and the players, we need to win on Saturday. Even personally, it has not been healthy, not been nice living with me probably over the last number of weeks.

"So we want to finish the season on a high, if that is possible with a win.”