NEWPORT County boss Jimmy Dack is warning people to write off his side at their own peril after the Exiles slipped out of the League Two play-off spots.

Newport are two points off the top seven with four games remaining after Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat to Bury, with a daunting trip to Southend United next on the agenda.

However, Dack believes County can still make the play-offs.

“No, it’s not damaging to our play-off hopes,” he said of Saturday’s reverse at Rodney Parade.

“I said to you, it will go to the wire and there are four games left.

“We weren’t going to win them all and now we go to Southend and draw a line in the sand and look to get a result.

“We need a few wins in there.

“We have four games to go and need to dust ourselves down. I don’t think we need to win all four games, but we might need to win three, or win two and draw two.

“I think it goes to the final game, I really do.”

Dack believes it’ll do County no harm if they are written off ahead of the visit to Roots Hall.

“Bury and Southend were always going to be two massive games and we have been in and around where we are because we’ve done well this season. We can’t get too disappointed on a loss. We need to look to be positive at Southend and get the result we need,” he said.

“People will write us off at Southend, but we are at our best when people write us off.

“We have the misfortune in recent weeks of hitting teams right in form, with Hartlepool, Bury and now Southend, but with four games to go, though we are hurting, we are right in there.

“We are going to be positive and try and win games, we will always do that, we don’t want to die wondering.”

Dack had no complaints with Saturday’s result, but admitted his side were again found wanting in attack.

“We definitely need to get in front in games, we’ve got to start getting that first goal, especially at home, to settle us down,” he said.

“We are playing teams who are good enough that when they get that first goal, they can sit in and make it difficult for you.

“We tried to get that first goal, but lacked in the final third, guile, the final ball, that little bit of quality in front of goal. Everything.

“We’re the wrong side of the line now, there is room for error but we do need a few wins as soon as we can and we’ll obviously be aiming to win all four games.

“Bury were very impressive, there are no 16-year olds in that side, the men in that team, they are a top side, very impressive. They were better than us.”