NEWPORT County AFC manager Graham Coughlan insists he is looking up the League Two table rather than down at the relegation zone.

The Exiles stretched away from the drop zone with Saturday’s 2-1 win against promotion-chasing Swindon Town in the early kick-off.

It proved to be a vital success as they then saw strugglers Gillingham, Hartlepool and Harrogate all claim three points in the tight tussle at the bottom.

County are still just five clear of the second-from-bottom Gills, while basement side Rochdale are nine back and look in huge trouble.

However, the boss is targeting a rise towards mid-table rather than worrying about the gap to the drop zone.

South Wales Argus:

“What are we off those above us? I am probably the only one that doesn’t look down, I tend to look up,” said Coughlan, who has claimed 18 points from 13 fixtures.

“What happens is that if you talk about looking over your shoulder then the environment and culture becomes negative.

“I’d rather look up, chase and catch those above us. I’d rather set targets and look up rather than worrying about anybody else.”

County took the spoils against 10-man Swindon thanks to second-half goals by Cameron Norman and debutant Calum Kavanagh.

It ended a six-game winless streak and Coughlan is drumming home the importance of repeating the trick at Barrow on Saturday, the third longest trip of the season behind Hartlepool and Carlisle.

They have won successive league games just twice this season – Harrogate after Tranmere in August under James Rowberry then Crewe after Gillingham in December.

“We’ve been here before, we’ve won games and not pushed on. The trick is to get momentum, consistency and put a run together,” said the manager.

“I am not getting carried away. We have won in the past and not really turned up the following week. That’s the challenge for the lads.”

Barrow are on a four-game winless streak after being denied by a last-gasp equaliser at Colchester on Saturday. They won 2-0 at Newport in September thanks to a brace by Josh Gordon.

The trip to Cumbria is the first of three games in eight days with County then hosting second-placed Stevenage on the Tuesday before locking horns with Walsall and Michael Flynn.