Newport County's Nick Townsend in top form after harsh words

The Exiles stopper was agonisingly close to earning a League Two point at promotion-chasing Stockport on Saturday.

Newport were 0-0 going into added time after a string of stunning Townsend saves but then Paddy Madden, who had earlier been denied from the penalty spot, fired in a winner.

The Exiles will look to respond against Morecambe at Rodney Parade on Tuesday evening (kick-off 7.45pm) when they hope it will be a quieter evening for their ‘keeper.

Townsend has kept five clean sheets in 13 games since being criticised by his boss – “the goalkeeping situation has been an issue since I came into the club” – after an injury-time clanger on New Year’s Day that cost two points.

DENIED: Nick Townsend saves Paddy Madden's penalty for Newport County at Stockport (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

“I had a nibble at him at Sutton and sometimes you have to poke the bear to make it angry,” said Coughlan. “He probably hasn’t spoken to me since the Sutton game and I don’t mind that!

“I poked the bear and Nick has been outstanding, those are his standards and I want that every game that he plays.

“He was outstanding at Stockport and has been since Sutton. He has been really, really good and kept us in it at Stockport.”

The Exiles have had to lick their wounds after Stockport’s last-gasp winner and Coughlan must assess which of his squad are ready to go again.

The manager needed to turn to his bench at Edgeley Park due to centre-back Kyle Jameson and striker Offrande Zanzala being on the comeback trail from serious injury while teenage loanees Lewis Payne and Seb Palmer-Houlden have racked up the minutes in their first season in the Football League.

Newport County manager Graham Coughlan at Stockport (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

“Ideally you don’t make changes,” said Coughlan. “You leave the back four or back five – or back seven as it was at the time! – the way they are if they are digging deep and are in the trenches.

“That was indicative of where we are and the period we find ourselves in. It’s not ideal in the last 10, 15 minutes to make changes, chop personnel and take centre-halves and left wing-backs off.

“You wouldn’t normally do that but under the current circumstances we have to.”

County now move on to Morecambe when they will try to hit Coughlan’s first target for the season of 50 points before moving on to beating last season’s tally of 57.

“Tuesday can’t come around quick enough, a home game with our fans behind us,” said the manager.

“Losing 1-0 to Mansfield and then 1-0 at Stockport does sting but the lads have come on leaps and bounds.

“We can now compete with sides like that, so we are building and hopefully we can gather as many points as we can between now and the end of the season, finish strongly and them reassess.”

Morecambe are in 10th place after their home loss to Wrexham, one point off the play-offs and five ahead of the Exiles.

The Shrimps will be without Max Melbourne after the defender was sent off for two yellow cards against the north Walians.