NEWPORT County boss Peter Beadle believes his side only need to match their previous two performances to get the better of Eastleigh in the Nationwide Conference South tomorrow (kick-off 3.0pm), as Spytty Park is becoming a fortress.
Beadle has enjoyed arguably his best week as manager of County, as his side picked up four points in two games and he appointed Scott Young as assistant manager.
It has been a cracking response from his players after they went bottom with a defeat at Carshalton on January 7, since beating Maiden-head 3-0 and drawing with play-off hopefuls Welling 2-2.
Beadle had publicly backed his players just before the Carshalton debacle and has been delighted with the two latest performances prompting him to predict victory if current standards are maintained. He explained: "In our last seven home games we have won five and drawn two and on Saturday we will keep it going.
"The players I backed publicly before we were humiliated and humbled at Carshalton have responded superbly this week and I have been very pleased with them.
"We are on a good run at home and if we win virtually all of our home games, which if we maintain our performances we can, then we will be absolutely fine.
"Eastleigh are a good side, but the way we are playing we won't fear them at all and if our performance is the same as the rest of the week, I guarantee we will get a positive result."
Beadle, who usually resists the temptation to praise individual players, is unable to hide his delight at the performance of striker Matt Green, who scored his first league goal of the season with an absolute belter against Welling.
"I am absolutely delighted with Matt's contribution and his goal against Welling was superb, a fantastic effort," he said. His work-rate against Maidenhead was excellent, but I wanted him to prove he could perform for 90 minutes rather than an hour and he did that against Welling. His potential is massive and if we keep getting a little bit extra out of him he is going to be a great player."
Visitors Eastleigh are in something of a crisis at the moment after the resignation of respected assistant manager Mark Dennis, the former Southampton defender. Eastleigh manager Paul Doswell is still with the club, but is in dispute with chairman Roger Sherwood.
Dennis commented: "I left because I couldn't work in these unbearable circumstances any longer. After the last two games, when we beat Basingstoke and Hayes, I came home and said to my wife that I just did not enjoy winning any more. I have never felt like that in the whole of my footballing career."
Suggestions that County will have signed striker Andy Campbell ahead of tomorrow's game are likely to be wide-of the mark and Beadle will almost certainly name an unchanged side.
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