NEWPORT County AFC were well beaten in Barrow, barely firing a shot and badly missing James Clarke and Shane McLoughlin. And history repeated on Saturday.

The Exiles have had a challenging few weeks and the mood wasn’t helped by a comprehensive 2-0 defeat at Holker Street last weekend.

However, some context is needed for the one-sided encounter in Cumbria that once again exposed the reliance on a handful of experienced players.

Barrow are a strong side and have started the season well after surprisingly making a change of boss last summer when replacing Pete Wild with Stephen Clemence.

The Bluebirds were promotion contenders in 2023/24 until a late collapse saw them fall away from challenging the top three and even miss out on the play-offs.

They are tough, resilient, potent at set plays but can also play some nice stuff while the challenges of a fixture at Holker Street are well-documented.

TOUGH: Barrow showed their promotion contenders with a win against Newport CountyTOUGH: Barrow showed their promotion contenders with a win against Newport County (Image: Magi Haroun/Huw Evans Agency)

It should not come as a surprise that County came unstuck last weekend.

Last year they headed north in higher spirits after a win at Wimbledon that had them dreaming of promotion but they produced a poor performance that was the first of eight defeats to end the season.

County, then under Graham Coughlan, did threaten more on that occasion with Seb Palmer-Houlden forcing a solid save and a cross flashed across the six-yard box, but it was underwhelming.

The stats between the game in Barrow at the end of last season and the one at the start of the current campaign are very similar.

Last season at Holker Street: 18 shots by Barrow to 8 by County, 3 on target to 2, 5 big chances to 1, 1.64 expected goals to 0.52, 58 per cent pass accuracy to 55.

This season at Holker Street: 22 shots by Barrow to 8 by County, 8 on target to 0, 2 big chances to 0, 1.84 xG to 0.23, 76 per cent pass accuracy to 64.

The 2-0 defeat wasn’t a terrible shock or a disastrous performance, but the aftermath has been affected by the implosion against Port Vale and shambolic display in Swindon.

Three defeats on the spin has led to pressure being ramped up online ahead of back-to-back games at Rodney Parade against Crewe and Salford.

Even Nelson Jardim has acknowledged the importance of the quickfire double-header in Newport.

“Home games are massive for us, I think I said that when we beat Doncaster at home earlier in the season,” he said in Barrow.

“We all agree those games are massive for us and we have to make sure we win them.”

Massive, maybe, but not season-defining.

BOSS: Nelson Jardim encourages Newport CountyBOSS: Nelson Jardim encourages Newport County (Image: Magi Haroun/Huw Evans Agency)

Owner Huw Jenkins has made his plans clear for the club and will not, or at least should not, be ready to take drastic action if things don’t go to plan over the next month or so.

Nobody gets time in football these days (although that is a dubious statement given some of County’s defending in the box of late…) and County don’t need to be hitting the panic button.

Their victories against Accrington and Morecambe might not have been terribly convincing but they have provided some breathing space over the pair of strugglers.

Jardim’s squad sit on nine points from seven games and are going at 1.29 per game. In 2023/24 they finished with 1.20 and the year before it was 1.24.

County must not bury their heads in the sand but these poor displays have come when stretched by injuries and suspension.

Jenkins’ squad-building means that they are inexperienced and there isn’t sufficient cover in some areas, most notably full-back.

However, the last three results have probably gone the way that you would expect them to.

It is the performances that give cause for concern and that is why these next two games are massive.

County have to show character, grit and fight regardless of results and the boss needs to set them up well after admitting he got things wrong in Wiltshire.

Coughlan’s side claimed one point from these fixtures last season – Crewe was 1-1, Salford burgled a 1-0 win at the death – and it is the displays that will determine the mood in Newport.

A win or two will help in Jardim's bid for a "comfortable" season but if County are still on nine points come 10pm on Tuesday then the Amber Army need to at least have been shown reason for believing.