Coughlan: Newport County can be contenders with Huw Jenkins

The boss remains reluctant to discuss the 12th-placed Exiles’ chances of a bid for the top-seven of League Two, even though they are in the mix.

County head to seventh-placed AFC Wimbledon this weekend and can cut the five-point gap to the Dons, who have played a game more than them.

Coughlan’s men have enjoyed a strong campaign after many tipped them to be in a relegation scrap.

That was after a summer that saw key figures Mickey Demetriou, Cameron Norman, Priestley Farquharson and Aaron Lewis leave for fourth-tier rivals plus financial problems that led to Jenkins’ takeover.

The manager has spearheaded an unlikely play-off bid, yet it was Mrs Coughlan that provided the initial spark.

Newport County boss Graham Coughlan at Pontypridd in pre-season (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

“I was away with my missus and she had to pick me up,” said the boss. “I got the call that four lads were leaving and all our plans had gone up in the air.

“She had to pick me up, I asked her what I could realistically do and she said to roll my sleeves up and do what I always do – fight.

“That's what we have done because we didn’t know what was going to happen.

“Four influential players left and that was tough to take, and if we had those four players then we wouldn’t be in 12th.

“That was the realism of the situation but thank goodness the big man upstairs was looking down on us and brought us a ray of sunshine when the new owner Huw Jenkins arrived.

“If that hadn’t happened who knows where we would have been and what would have happened.”

County were owned by a Supporters Trust and the board issued stark warnings about the state of the finances.

They invited investment, former Swansea chairman Jenkins was chosen as the preferred bidder and he was overwhelmingly given the green light by Trust members.

Newport County owner Huw Jenkins (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

Coughlan believes the new owner has brought “stability and clarity” to give County a platform to build from.

“The challenges have been huge but we have overcome them and hopefully over the next 12 to 18 months this club can go from strength to strength,” said the manager.

“But those days, I will never forget them and they were so educational. So much hard work had to go in to trying to keep the spirits high because there was very little here.

“It’s been one hell of a journey and a massive challenge, one that I’ve loved. I thank every person that has helped us get into this relatively healthy position.

“Now it’s about trying to push on over the next couple of seasons and hopefully be in a position where we can realistically start talking about that ‘P’ word you all keep using.”

County passed Coughlan’s first target of 50 points with Tuesday’s 5-3 win against Morecambe and now he wants to hit 58 to beat last year’s tally, when they finished 15th.

“Our mini-league is that we have to get to 57 points and finish higher than we did last year,” said the boss. “That’s all we are concentrating on.”