Newport County defender Matt Baker says his side are “raring to go” ahead of their return to action tomorrow afternoon, as they prepare to face promotion-chasing Port Vale at Vale Park.
The Exiles are aiming to secure their first win of the new year, and after a lengthy break and a run of three consecutive defeats, Baker and his teammates are eager to get back on the pitch.
“We’re all fit and raring to go tomorrow,” he said.
“It feels like a lifetime since we last played, to be honest. The lads are really keen to get going again. We’ve been working hard in training, so we’re all ready to go on Saturday.
“We were really kicking ourselves after the Wimbledon game. We had a few chances in the first half, and if we'd been more clinical, we would have definitely come away with the win. But we've been focusing on that in training.
“We could have really done with the Morecambe game to get back on track and move past the Wimbledon result. Unfortunately, it got called off, but we’re fully focused on tomorrow. We’ve got the game, and we’re all prepared and ready to go.
“After the break, we can't wait to get back at it, put some results together, and make the second half of the season a strong one.”
Since making his permanent move to Newport County in the summer, Baker has formed a solid centre-back partnership with Ciaran Brennan, becoming a key figure at the heart of the Exiles' defence.
And he believes their relationship and understanding of each other is continuing to grow each game.
“We’ve really developed a strong partnership,” he added.
"We’re quite similar in how we play - we both like to play out from the back, break lines, and get the ball into midfield.
“The whole back four has been building great relationships, despite a few injuries along the way. Our main job is to keep the ball out of the net, and when we get clean sheets, it’s a real boost for the whole team.”