Newport County won 3-1 against Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday to escape the League Two relegation zone for the first time in 151 days, but can Fuchs' men survive the drop?
On 26 January, Newport County manager Christian Fuchs insisted his team were not in a League Two relegation battle.
His side then went five matches without a win and appeared down and out, sitting five points adrift at the bottom of the table by mid-February.
Fast forward to 3 March and a 3-1 win over Tranmere Rovers at Rodney Parade lifted County out of the relegation zone for the first time in 151 days on a night that felt like it could be a turning point in the Exiles' season.
Fuchs hailed the victory as a "big relief" and "very, very important" as it brought an end to Newport's 25-game spell in the bottom two.
"The boys showed a lot of resilience," he said. "They've shown they're hard to beat and they also showed that they can be patient.
"They showed that they can score goals, and we want to push forward. There's a lot of positives to take away and to build on.
"It was a big relief, it was a well-deserved three points and being away from the bottom two is definitely big.
"It lifts the group, it lifts the spirits and is very good for the boys."
Newport have now taken seven points from four games and sit on 28 points, one clear of Barrow and Harrogate who occupy the drop zone.
Barrow, who have two games in hand, have the chance to go back above the Exiles when they travel to Cheltenham on Friday evening.
Exiles face 11 'cup finals'
County's resurgence is encouraging but Fuchs was keen to emphasise that it is only "a step in the right direction".
Their projected tally of about 36 points, based on a 0.79 points per game rate, is well below the typical survival mark of 43.
Southend, in 2021, were an exception in recent times when they went down on 45.
Even Oldham's relegation with 38 points in 2022 serves as a reminder that the margins are thin as they sat on 31 points at this stage of the season, three points better off than Newport.
Still, the run-in offers opportunities.
A home fixture with Colchester is next followed by a demanding spell including Barnet and leaders Bromley.
Newport still have home games to come against relegation rivals Shrewsbury, Crawley and Harrogate, while they travel to Barrow on the final day in what could be a crucial fixture in determining who goes down.
"Every game is a cup final for us," said Fuchs, who praised his players for showing "everything it takes to stay up" on Tuesday.
Category: General Sports
