Newport County

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Hat-trick hero Bobby Kamwa says he is grateful for his "great connection" with Newport County head coach Nelson Jardim.

The Cameroon-born forward joined the Exiles after leaving Burton Albion last summer and has featured in all but two of his side's 39 matches in all competitions this season.

And the 24-year-old is thankful to Portuguese boss Jardim for sticking by him during his tougher spells in his debut campaign at Rodney Parade.

"It's been up and down but I've thoroughly enjoyed it," Kamwa said of his time at Newport so far.

"I'm going to give a special mention to the gaffer for sticking with me when things haven't gone well.

"I'm enjoying working with him. We've got a great connection and I try to repay the faith that he's put in me.

"The boys have been great with me and everyone works their socks off."

Kamwa netted three goals in the opening 30 minutes as Newport ended their three-game winless run by beating Gillingham 3-1 on Tuesday night.

It was the winger's second hat-trick of the season following his treble against MK Dons in December.

"Personally, I'm delighted. The team count on me and I've got a lot on my shoulders," he said.

"That's for me to prove to everyone that I can take the team forward and carry on helping the team to win games.

"Sometimes I can pull a lot of things out of my locker, so I'm buzzing."

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Newport County boss Nelson Jardim has warned his mis-firing players they are making decisions on their own futures with their performances.

And he says whether they want to stay or leave the League Two club, they will need to be better than in recent weeks.

County lost 3-0 for a second game in a row at the weekend, their defeat at Doncaster Rovers coming seven days after the same scoreline at home against Cheltenham Town.

Jardim called the former "just not good enough" and has demanded a response in Tuesday's home fixture with Gillingham.

Newport had a large turnover of players last term and Jardim has previously stated he did not envisage a similar summer of change, but he warned: "Any player not really focussed on here with us, we have to make decisions.

"We have been very, very clear with the players – they have to show. If they want to stay or even if they want to get a move then they have to perform at their best.

"At this level (of performance), both things can happen – they could not stay or not get a move.

"I want a reaction, show some desire, show some pride, because (Doncaster) wasn't good enough."

Newport remain 14 points clear of the relegation places after a recent spell that saw them go six games unbeaten, but Jardim says it is defensive mistakes and not complacency that is costing them.

"The way that we conceded goals was just not good enough," he added.

"We conceded goals from individual mistakes and that is costing us - some of the goals we are conceding are unbelievable. You cannot have that level of performance.

"We have to analyse and make sure we are stronger on Tuesday because it's a massive game against Gillingham and we have to compete."

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Newport County head coach Nelson Jardim has urged his players not to let the season fade away.

After a decent run of form, the Exiles have slipped off the pace in their recent League Two outings.

Ahead of Saturday's trip to Doncaster Rovers, they are 16th in the table, 14 points above the relegation zone.

And while that position offers some safety, Jardim is eager to push on for better performances in the remaining 12 games of the season.

"I definitely want to see that they have the right competitive attitude," he said.

"I think that's massive, not only here, everywhere.

"If they haven't got that, then I think they are in trouble with us, as well as a club.

"That work rate, that competitiveness that they have to show, every game has to be there."

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Cheltenham Town's weekend victory at Rodney Parade saw Michael Flynn maintain his impressive record against his old club - but the former Newport County boss insists he does not enjoy seeing the Exiles lose.

Flynn is now unbeaten in six matches against Newport since he left County in 2021.

Newport had come into their latest Flynn reunion in fine form, but saw a six-game unbeaten run end in emphatic fashion as they were beaten 3-0 on Saturday.

Flynn made his name at Newport, first as a player and then as manager.

But speaking about his fine return from matches against his home-city club, Flynn said: "I don't even look at it.

"I don't like seeing Newport lose but I have to be professional and do the job I'm paid to do."

County are 16th in the League Two table having suffered a first league defeat since 24 January.

They face a stern challenge as they attempt to respond at high-flying Doncaster Rovers on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

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Nelson Jardim admits he was frustrated to see Courtney Baker-Richardson receive a red card during Newport County's 3-0 defeat by Cheltenham Town as it leaves the Exiles' striker options even thinner.

Former Swansea forward Baker-Richardson, 29, was shown a second yellow card and subsequently a red in the 83rd minute of Newport's heavy defeat against former manager Michael Flynn's side at Rodney Parade.

It means he will be suspended for Saturday's trip to Doncaster Rovers (15:00 GMT), while Kyle Hudlin is set to miss most of the remainder of the campaign due to a calf injury.

"You see what CBR (Baker-Richardson) was telling the fourth official, it's what they normally do. He was fouled and their third goal came after that," said Jardim.

"He was just saying what everyone does, not only in this league, everywhere. He already had a yellow card and that will be one less option for us in the next game.

"We'll have to find a solution and let's speak with the boys to make sure they don't repeat this, but I don't think that was anything special.

"We've shown throughout the season that we always find a solution. This is just another problem that we have to face and we will come up with a good answer."

David Ajiboye was not included in the Newport squad for the contest with Cheltenham, and Jardim revealed the 26-year-old had been in hospital with his wife.

"His wife was due [to give birth] so he's in the hospital. First of all, congratulations to Ajiboye, his family is growing," added Jardim.

"He was actually starting today but you cannot control these things. You just have to congratulate the players in this case because he's just had his first son."

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Mike Flynn has praised the work of Nelson Jardim as he prepares to face former club Newport County.

Cheltenham Town boss Flynn made his name at the Exiles, first as a player with his hometown club, then as the manager who orchestrated a 'Great Escape' from relegation to non-league before FA Cup upsets over Leeds United and Leicester City.

The former postman also delivered two play-offs finals in his five years in charge before leaving in October in 2021.

Spells at Walsall and Swindon Town followed, but he will return to Rodney Parade with Cheltenham having struck up a friendship with the man who now occupies the County hot-seat, Jardim.

Jardim, whose side are on a six game unbeaten run, revealed the pair have chatted football over dinner together, and said: "He's a manager who knows the club very well.

"He's someone I like, he's been great with me and we talk a lot.

"He's been there whenever I need, he's been great to me. He's a local boy, he knows this club better than anyone else. He knows it inside out, but when we talk we don't talk about Newport, we talk about the league, other clubs, other players."

And Flynn knows, it seems, that Jardim deserves praise.

"Nelson has done a really good job," said Flynn, part of the team that won promotion to the Football League in 2013. "I know how tough it is: limited budgets, a big overhaul in the summer. I can't speak highly enough of him, he's done excellent. I hope he has a blip (on Saturday) and then carries on his good work."

County are 15th in League Two, with Cheltenham one point better off in 14th, while also having a game in hand.

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Head coach Nelson Jardim says Newport County believe they can topple high-flying Bradford City on Saturday (15:00 GMT) as they look to continue their best run of the season.

The Exiles have climbed to 14th in League Two having won four games in a row.

But Jardim's side can expect a stern examination as they host the third-placed Bantams, who have won eight of their past 10 second-tier matches.

"It's going to come down to small margins," said Jardim.

"We are looking to find that stability and balance in every unit.

"We have had to change our team a lot due to different factors but we are in good form, with good momentum, and we give our best every day to try to keep that going.

"We are in a position where we can look at this game and try to win it."

Bradford beat Newport 3-1 at Valley Parade in October, but Jardim expects a different contest in the return fixture.

"It's going to be a different game, they are a different team now compared to back in October," he added.

"We are also a different team now, but it will be a typical League Two game.

"They are doing so well, third in the league, but we expect to be competing and we know if we do our job it is a game we can win."

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Newport County head coach Nelson Jardim says it is "too early" to discuss player contracts ahead of next season.

A number of key Newport players are out of contract in the summer, including Aaron Wildig, James Clarke and Shane McLoughlin.

Kieron Evans, Kyle Hudlin, Noah Mawene, Jaden Warner and David Ajiboye will also leave Rodney Parade at the end of the season when their loan deals expire.

Despite the large number of impending departures, Jardim insists contract negotiations will not start yet.

"It's too early for those types of conversations," said Jardim, whose side have 16 League Two games to play this season.

"Obviously we do not want a lot of movement in the summer, we just want a clear idea of what we want going forward.

"It's also not just starters, it is back-ups as well, but we know what we want and what we need."

Jardim says his players, who have put together a run of four straight league wins, are solely focused on performances as they prepare for Saturday's home game against Bradford City (15:00 GMT).

"We haven't had time for [contract talks] playing every Saturday-Tuesday," said Jardim.

"Now is not the moment for it, everyone is pushing hard to play and nobody is thinking about their contracts."

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Newport County head coach Nelson Jardim has confirmed that midfielder Kai Whitmore will miss Saturday's League Two match with Bradford City.

Whitmore, 23, has missed the last three games having suffered a leg injury in County's 1-0 win over Barrow on 1 February.

Newport are thin on the ground in midfield, with Aaron Wildig already ruled out for the season and Kieron Evans expected to miss at least four more weeks.

"Kai is unavailable for the game," confirmed Jardim.

"The rest of the squad is looking okay, we still have one more training session to go but it is all about recovering."

The injuries in midfield have not stopped Newport putting together a run of four-straight wins.

Summer signing Cameron Antwi and Shane McLoughlin - who usually plays full-back - have formed an unlikely midfield duo, but they have both played a key part in the recent resurgence.

A win over Bradford on Saturday could see Newport move into the top half of the League Two table for the first time since October, having been just five points above the bottom two a matter of weeks ago.

"We have to keep the momentum going, but we have to keep focused on what we are doing," said Jardim.

"We were not bad when we were losing games, and we have not been that good when winning, it's little things.

"The most important thing is we have a good group of people working hard every day and sometimes football just goes your way."

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Newport County head coach Nelsom Jardim says he was never worried about the prospect of getting relegated from League Two.

After a poor run of form which saw them win once in three months, The Exiles found themselves just six points off the bottom two.

But following their 1-0 win over bottom club Carlisle on Tuesday night - a fourth successive victory - they are now 16 points clear of the relegation zone.

"I never had any relegation fears. I was accused of being deluded," Jardim told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

"I believe in my work and I believe in the people I work with every day - the staff and the players.

"Football is about momentum, and when things come together you win games.

"The biggest challenge now is making sure we carry on doing this. We need to carry on working and improving."

Jardim was the subject of some criticism from his own supporters after the 2-1 defeat against Swindon Town in January.

But he maintains that he has always had belief in his own ability and in the group of players at his disposal.

"I don't need to prove nothing to anyone," Jardim added.

"I've worked twice with Maritimo, twice with Nacional and twice in Swansea.

"The only people I have to prove myself to is the people I work with every day.

"Sometimes you work hard and you don't get what you deserve. We went through a spell of games where we were playing better than we're playing now, but results were not coming off."

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Mark Hughes says he "enjoyed every minute" of his return to management and is eyeing Newport County after an "encouraging" start to his time at Carlisle United.

The Wales legend was a surprise appointment as new Carlisle boss last week, facing the challenge of saving the Cumbrians from relegation into non-league.

Hughes, a former Wales manager and 72-cap international, took charge for the first time at the weekend, going down 2-1 at Grimsby Town to keep them at the bottom of League Two.

They now head to Newport on Tuesday looking to cut the gap to safety from five points.

And former Manchester United and Barcelona star Hughes says he loved being back in the dug-out for the first time since leaving Bradford City in October 2023.

"I enjoyed every minute of it," Hughes told BBC Radio Cumbria. "Three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon - that's what I've missed. It was great to be back."

On Carlisle's defeat, Sparky added: "It was a performance of good energy and a group of guys trying to implement what a new management team has been trying to put in within 48 hours.

"Getting beat in your first game as manager of club is disappointing, but you always want to take encouragement and I've been able to do that.

"I feel there's more to come when we can have more time with the group and we can bring the better elements we saw more to the fore on more regular occasions."

Carlisle went ahead after just five minutes at Blundell Park before losing the game in the final 10 minutes for a third defeat in a row.

Newport had at one stage been worrying close to the drop zone themselves, only for a three game winning streak to ease the pressure. They welcome Carlisle able to go 16 points clear of the bottom two by making it four wins on the spin for the first time since August 2022.

But Hughes said he will be ready for the test, adding: "It's a big game on Tuesday against a side who have found a little bit of form.

"(Saturday was) a good learning experience for me; I understand a lot more about of what is ahead of us and what the group is capable of. I'll take that, process that and go again on Tuesday.

"We've got a couple of days to go through it with a fine tooth comb, understand areas that were causing us a problem, we'll pick the bones out of it and be ready to go again and try and take that extra step that allows us to win games."

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Cameron Antwi celebrated a boyhood dream with the spectacular at Crewe – but says it's the ugly stuff that is making the difference for in-form Newport County.

The Exiles have taken a giant stride towards easing League Two relegation fears with three wins in a row.

The latest came at Gresty Road, with the former Cardiff City midfielder opening the scoring in the 3-0 win.

It was the 23-year-old's first senior goal, the midfielder marking the occasion with an eye-catching somersault.

But it's been the way an inexperienced side has suddenly found its fight that has really impressed of late, something Antwi acknowledged a young team has learned to get to grips with.

"I've been waiting for that since I was eight or nine years-old," said summer arrival Antwi of his landmark goal.

"This is my first season in the EFL and I am enjoying it. I am learning every single day and taking in different experiences, and also learning from the older lads and other boys that have come in. Every day is a learning curve.

"I feel that I am starting to progress more and I think that is showing on the pitch with results and performances.

"I'm understanding sometimes you need to just put your foot in and I feel that I am learning that and getting better at that. When I am in the middle, I've got to be the one to do that and then others will follow.

"It's just been about getting to know each other more and also just fighting for each other, being there for your mates on the pitch.

"It's understanding I can't just play individually, it has to be as a team. We're on a good run and will look to go into Tuesday with the same spirit and same fight and win again."

Newport welcome bottom placed Carlisle in midweek – now managed by Wales legend Mark Hughes – with the chance to move 16 points clear of the bottom two.

It could be a significant opportunity given they were once within six points with games against survival rivals to come.

Antwi added: "It's been a long time since we have put a few wins together but we have worked together, fought together and got the right results for it.

"We're not looking ahead of us or behind, we're just focusing on ourselves."

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Nelson Jardim hopes Newport County can have a "steady" summer following two hectic transfer windows since he joined the club ahead of the 2024-25 season.

The Exiles signed six players during the January window, meaning they have recruited a total of 24 players throughout the course of the current season.

And while Newport have endured tough spells in their debut campaign under Jardim, the Portuguese boss feels his new-look squad will only improve as they spend more time together.

"When you change around 20 players in the squad in one season, most of them young players, you have your squad for next season already done," said Jardim.

"You just need to do a touch here and there, little things, which is normal, but you are not starting all over again.

"That's the target - can we make sure we've got a consistent team and a group of boys that can grow together and will be much better next season.

"I don't have any doubts that they will do that, but when you are competing you want to win every game. The short-term goals are there, to push forward and go upwards.

"Long-term we want to build something for the future and I am sure within a year or two these boys will do a lot of good things.

"This season allows everyone to get to know each other. What we are looking for is a steady summer, with the target of improving the team."

Lewis Webb, Tom Davies, Josh Martin, Jaden Warner and Keenan Patten have all recently joined the club while David Ajiboye arrived on loan from Peterborough United.

Newport also extended striker Kyle Hudlin's loan deal from Huddersfield Town until the end of the season.

And while Jardim was disappointed to lose full-back Tom Davies - who arrived on a permanent deal from Cardiff City - for the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury, the head coach feels the club are in a stronger position as a result of their dealings in the winter market.

"Every time you go to a transfer window you want to improve the team, and that is happening," added the Newport boss.

"January did that, we are much stronger with the boys that have come in.

"The only disappointment is the injury to Tom Davies, you don't want to see a young player with a bright future having that time away from training and playing."