Michael Flynn wants his players to be up for a scrap when they take on relegation threatened Chesterfield at the Proact Stadium in Derbyshire on Bank Holiday Monday (3pm).
Manager Flynn and his team must win if they are to keep alive fading hopes of qualifying for the play-offs and he says: “I’m always up for a scrap.
“Chesterfield are fighting for their lives and it’s going to be a tough game.
“Every game is tough in this league. The players have set the standard again.”
County remain 12th in League Two after a positive performance in their 1-1 draw against promotion-chasing Coventry City at Rodney Parade.
Hosts Chesterfield are 23rd and in danger of suffering a second successive relegation after finishing bottom of League One last season.
Manager Jack Lester’s side were beaten by 10-man Port Vale, but they won against fourth-placed Notts County in their last home game.
“We’ve dropped 18 points against the bottom five clubs,” said Flynn. “That’s no disrespect to those clubs because we’ve been one the last two seasons and we know what fighting spirit they’ll have.
“Can handle being the favourites? We need to get that across to the players.
“When we’ve gone on a good run and had some good wins at home and away against some of the big teams in the league it is frustrating that we’ve dropped points against the bottom clubs.
“The players definitely don’t go into any game thinking ‘we’re the favourites’ for this one.
“Nobody takes anything for granted, but we just need to hammer home a little bit of assertiveness when we’re on top.”
Spireites manager Lester is a former Chesterfield player returned to Chesterfield earlier this season and has given the Derbyshire outfit a real chance of remaining in the Football League.
The 42-year old was appointed during September following the dismissal of Gary Caldwell.
He has taken charge of 32 matches and has a win ratio of 28.1 per cent.
Chesterfield have earned nine wins under his command, while there have been six draws and 17 defeats.
It is Lester’s first job in professional management, having only coached in the youth set-ups before the chance arose at the Proact.
During a 20-year playing career he made 648 appearances and scored 174 goals for Chesterfield, Grimsby Town, Doncaster Rovers, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United and Gateshead.
Newport’s Paul Hayes (calf) and Robbie Willmott (knee) are both doubtful for Monday’s clash, while Chesterfield will be without midfield player Giles Coke (Achilles), Jordan Sinnott (ankle) and Ian Evatt (knee).
Sam Hird, Gozie Ugwu and Dylan Mottley-Henry are also ruled out of their team on Monday.
Chesterfield, possible (4-4-1-1): Ramsdale, Barry, Nelson, Whitmore, Talbot, Weir, Reed, Kellett, Hines, Brown, Dennis.
Newport County, possible (3-5-2): Day, Pipe, White, O’Brien (capt), Demetriou, Butler, Dolan, Tozer, Sheehan, Amond, Nouble.
Other League Two fixtures on Bank Holiday Monday (All 3pm)
Accrington Stanley v Notts County
Carlisle United v Lincoln City
Coventry City v Yeovil Town
Crawley Town v Swindon Town
Crewe Alexandra v Port Vale
Exeter City v Cheltenham Town
Forest Green Rovers v Colchester United
Luton Town v Mansfield Town
Morecambe v Cambridge United
Stevenage v Barnet
Wycombe Wanderers v Grimsby Town
Newport’s remaining fixtures:
April
Monday 2: Chesterfield v Newport County (3pm)
Saturday 7: Newport County v Stevenage (3pm)
Saturday 14: Newport County v Yeovil Town (3pm)
Saturday 21: Barnet v Newport County (3pm)
Tuesday 24: Newport County v Accrington Stanley (7.45pm)
Saturday 28: Newport County v Cambridge United (3pm)
May
Saturday 5: Carlisle United v Newport County (3pm)
League Two
2017/18
| | HOME | | AWAY | |||||||||||||
| P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Accrington | 38 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 37 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 28 | 22 | +25 | 77 |
| 2 | Luton | 40 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 54 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 28 | 21 | +40 | 74 |
| 3 | Wycombe | 40 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 40 | 30 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 33 | 24 | +19 | 71 |
| 4 | Notts Co | 40 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 37 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 24 | 25 | +19 | 67 |
| 5 | Exeter | 39 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 27 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 25 | 29 | +8 | 66 |
| 6 | Coventry | 39 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 29 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 19 | +16 | 65 |
| 7 | Lincoln | 39 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 35 | 21 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 21 | 21 | +14 | 64 |
| 8 | Mansfield | 39 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 37 | 20 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 19 | 21 | +15 | 63 |
| 9 | Swindon | 39 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 24 | 33 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 36 | 26 | +1 | 61 |
| 10 | Carlisle | 40 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 29 | 20 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 28 | 29 | +8 | 60 |
| 11 | Colchester | 40 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 29 | 19 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 25 | +5 | 58 |
| 12 | Newport Co | 39 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 26 | 20 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 23 | 30 | -1 | 54 |
| 13 | Cambridge U | 40 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 27 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 35 | -10 | 54 |
| 14 | Crawley | 40 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 25 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 23 | 32 | -7 | 53 |
| 15 | Cheltenham | 40 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 27 | 24 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 31 | 34 | 0 | 48 |
| 16 | Stevenage | 39 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 34 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 34 | -6 | 45 |
| 17 | Crewe | 40 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 27 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 23 | 36 | -15 | 43 |
| 18 | Yeovil | 37 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 27 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 38 | -10 | 42 |
| 19 | Morecambe | 39 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 23 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 25 | -10 | 42 |
| 20 | Port Vale | 40 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 23 | 25 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 30 | -12 | 42 |
| 21 | Forest Green | 39 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 30 | 30 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 37 | -20 | 40 |
| 22 | Grimsby | 40 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 17 | 38 | -29 | 38 |
| 23 | Chesterfield | 38 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 25 | 30 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 38 | -27 | 34 |
| 24 | Barnet | 40 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 18 | 34 | -23 | 33 |