Joe Thomas felt Newport County produced another strong collective effort after they picked up another valuable point against promotion-chasing Walsall on Monday afternoon.
Despite being reduced to ten men following a late red card for Ciaran Brennan, County dug deep to secure a 0-0 draw against the third-placed visitors.
Walsall thought they had snatched a late winner, but Oisin McEntee’s effort was correctly ruled out for handball following consultation between the referee and his assistant.
The result followed a solid display in the Good Friday draw at MK Dons, and Thomas was pleased with how the squad rounded off the Easter weekend.
“It was a really good point to take in the end, especially after going down to 10 men,” said the full-back. “The boys put in a great shift — you can’t fault the effort from anyone.
“Getting back-to-back clean sheets is always a positive. Although we drew both games, we still have to take the positives from them. Everyone worked hard to keep those clean sheets, and that’s something we’ve needed more of throughout the season.
“It’s been a really positive weekend when you look back. The point away from home was a great start, especially considering our away form hasn’t been the strongest this season. Then to get a point against Walsall, down to 10 men and with all the drama at the end — we can be proud of how hard we’ve worked.”
With League Two safety now mathematically secured — thanks to Monday’s result and Carlisle’s failure to beat Accrington — Thomas is proud of the squad’s achievement but insists his side will approach the remaining two games with the same focus.
“These last two games are just as important as any others," he added. "There’s less pressure now we’re safe, but we still want to finish strong and climb as high as we can in the table.
“The last two results should definitely give us a boost going into these final matches.”
