Christian Fuchs hails Newport victory as they secure Football League survival

Christian Fuchs was proud of his Newport players after they secured Football League survival on the final day of the season with a 2-1 comeback victory over Barrow.

There was a vast contrast in emotions among the fans at the ground as County maintained their League Two status, whilst the Bluebirds were relegated back to the National League.

Barrow needed a mathematical miracle to stay up, but Charlie McCann got them off to the best possible start as he fired them in front in the first 10 minutes.

Josh Gordon’s missed penalty early in the second half changed the game and – with both sides in the dreaded drop zone -Newport missed a number of chances.

But Tom Davies stuck an all-important leveller, which would have kept the Exiles up, before Bobby Kamwa secured a final-day win at Holker Street.

Fuchs said: “Everyone at the football club knew what was at stake.

“It’s an incredible feeling, it really is. It’s been a season of a lot of ups and downs. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster at times.

“At the end, when you stand here with our fans away from home, you get the crucial win that keeps you up, it’s pure joy.

“I’m so proud of the players for getting the job done.

“I’m so happy for the fans, they have been incredible. You can see what it means to them, the community, to the club.

“It’s an incredible achievement and I’m pleased for everybody.

“Bobby Kamwa has been incredible. He’s lived up to the occasion when we’ve really needed him. His last two goals have been two crucial goals.

“The boys have been brilliant and I’m so happy for them. I reminded them to focus on themselves.”

It was a calamitous campaign for Barrow. In the end they had five different managers and the club’s faithful fans will be left demanding answers after relegation was confirmed.

Questions

Interim boss Sam Foley said: “It’s disappointing, obviously.

“It was inevitable, it was in the coming. We’d seen it over the last few weeks.

“Since day one, the lads have been brilliant, they’ve done everything I’ve asked of them and they’ve just come up short.

“Today was a representation of our season in a nutshell really.

“The damage was done before I came in. Things started to go wrong when we kept losing games regularly.

“Questions about reviews and stuff like that are for other people. I was asked to lead the team. I came into it blind, but I wanted to help the football club.

“One day I was a player and the next I was managing the team.

“It was hard watching the boys suffering when I was out injured. I feel for the fans, but they will be here supporting the team, no matter what.”v