SOMETIMES a draw can feel like a lot less than a point gained or lost, and Good Friday proved just such an occasion for Newport County AFC, writes Michael Pearlman.

The Exiles could, should and will head to (the real) St James’ Park on Easter Monday positively bouncing, despite only drawing with a side just out the relegation zone.

There is a vast difference in how a player is going to feel after a contest where they’ve thrown away a two goal advantage, as opposed to rescuing a point from a desperate position.

This squad has character in abundance and if the nature of their comeback didn’t lead to a boisterous dressing room, virtually all those sides around them drawing or losing certainly would have.

County aren’t currently even the side in the play-offs most directly looking over their shoulders, sitting pretty in sixth spot and showing the character and resilience of a side that truly believes they can make the play-offs. That they will make the play-offs.

And it is truly tough to envisage the trip to Exeter not being both a high scoring and pivotal contest for both sides, with past and recent history indicating that entertainment is almost guaranteed.

County and Exeter produced an excellent contest on the same day Chris Coleman’s national side stunned Belgium in Brussels, the Exiles roaring back from a two goal deficit to tie two apiece, just like on Good Friday.

And if County are bouncing then Exeter should be too, just three points outside the play-offs and four behind the Exiles on the back of their best win of the entire campaign.

Exeter’s hopes looked dead and buried trailing 2-0 at Kenilworth Road, but they triumphed 3-2 with virtually the last kick of the game to really snarl up the pack of League Two play-off contenders.

However, Newport will be buoyed by their consistency this season against the sides – to steal the current trendiest football phrase that means absolutely nothing – “in and around them.”

County have won this season at the grounds of the sides currently top, third and fourth in League Two while drawing at the teams in second and seventh spot (they’ve yet to play fifth placed Southend and are sixth themselves). Or in simplistic terms, County haven’t lost yet at a side in the automatic promotion or play-off berths.

That’s a truly sensational and in fact, unrivalled successful record against the apex outfits in English football’s fourth tier.

It will no doubt buoy those who will travel in their hundreds and probably nearly their thousands for what is almost certainly going to be an entertaining game of football.

In Paul Tisdale Exeter essentially have the Arsene Wenger of the lower league game in charge, the second longest reigning manager in English football (by a margin of just shy of four years though a decade behind Wenger) and a coach dedicated to playing passing football.

Exeter will almost certainly top County in the possession stats, but what of the result? Despite the hosts being seven games unbeaten, their home record is a very mixed bag.

Just six wins from twenty games, with only three clean sheets in front of their home fans. However, Exeter have also only failed to score twice at home all term.

Jimmy Dack will be desperate to see Ryan Jackson return to restore balance to the side, especially as Yan Klukowski has been a key cog for County on the road in terms of contributing to or scoring goals.

A handful of County players also know how to get it done at Exeter, having won there 2-0 last term, with the Grecians yet to beat Newport since their return to the Football League. Good omens ahead of a vital clash.

Because one thing is certain, with just 18 more points available to fight for this term, Newport’s visit to St James’ Park is likely to be a vital contest for both sides.