Newport coach Ian McIntosh pledges the club will bounce back in the wake of last night's 16-14 home defeat at the hands of unfancied Irish province Connacht.

It all but wrecks Newport's chances of reaching the quarter-finals of the Celtic League competition, the Connacht setback following others against Cardiff and Munster.

But McIntosh remains firm, though still coming to terms with a schedule of two games a week.

"We did the hard work, but gave it away by dropping the ball," admitted McIntosh.

"It's frustrating, we can't win games if we play like that. We did the same against Cardiff when we turned the ball around 42 times.

"Apart from one interception Connacht never threatened. We made all the play but lost it. "But there is still a lot coming from the guys, they are really trying.

"If they were not playing it would be a concern. But it will come, I promise you, it has to. "It's been a nightmare the last few weeks with just one proper session, I've never known a league with so many games, though it's the same for all sides.

"It's two weeks to the Heineken Cup, but we'll have two normal weeks of training. "It's a long season, but we'll get there. I can see a lot of promise in the side."

Twenty-year-old back row forward Andrew Powell, who won the man-of-the-match award, was the one bright spot in a dismal Newport performance.

"I'm just glad to be in the side, it's great," he said. "But we made too many mistakes, we threw it away."