Nelson Jardim pleased with ‘big win’ as Newport beat Morecambe

Newport head coach Nelson Jardim hailed “a big win” for his side as they took a huge step towards safety with a nervy 2-1 home victory over struggling Morecambe.

The Shrimps thought they had earned a point when substitute Gwion Edwards cancelled out Joe Thomas’ early opener with 11 minutes remaining.

But David Ajiboye slotted in the winner three minutes later to move County up to 17th in the League Two table – 10 points clear of 23rd-placed Morecambe with a game in hand.

The Exiles were, however, thankful to a superb performance from goalkeeper Nick Townsend, who was beaten just once from 26 attempts.

Nelson Jardim

“It was a big win,” said Jardim, who celebrated back-to-back victories for the first time since October. “We knew that we needed it, and it feels good.

“I am so pleased for the players, who have been fantastic since the beginning of the season.

“The way that they have fought over the last two games has been outstanding, and today we had a big goalkeeper.

“The game was very difficult, and Morecambe were tough to deal with,” added the Portuguese.

“We were brilliant in the first half, and I was disappointed not to score another goal or two.

“In the second half you have to give credit to Morecambe, who are fighting for their lives.

“They pushed us with long balls and throw-ins but we were ready to deal with that.

“We did well and were then lucky to have a goalkeeper to help us get the win.”

A fourth successive league defeat on the road means Morecambe remain three points from safety.

Shrimps boss Derek Adams also praised Townsend’s performance, while lamenting his own side’s inability to turn pressure into points.

Derek Adams

“We lost a poor goal in the first half, but the second half was utter domination by ourselves,” said the Scot.

“It was 26 attempts on goal, and we’ve got to score (more). Their goalkeeper made some outstanding saves and won them the game.

“The defending was poor for their second goal, but we were the team that deserved to win. We were better than them, but you have to be able to put the ball in the back of the net and we couldn’t get past their goalkeeper. He was outstanding.

“You know a team is up against it when their goalkeeper goes down, not once but twice,” added Adams. “They’re wasting time and coming across to the touchline to get tactics from their manager – getting a breather to break up the game. You know then that you’re really on top.

“But we’ve failed to get three points because we haven’t been able to get the ball in the back of the net.”

READ MORE: Newport pull clear of drop zone with win over Morecambe