In what has been a period of significant overhaul for Newport County since Nelson Jardim's arrival as head coach last summer, the Exiles have faced numerous challenges.

A change in style, a huge turnover in players; you name it, they've had to juggle with it.

But one aspect that has undoubtedly improved under the Portuguese boss is Newport's home form.

The 3-0 win over Harrogate Town on March 15 provided the perfect response to a wretched 5-0 loss at Accrington Stanley four days earlier.

It also saw Newport earn a 10th home league win of the season, their best return since the 2020-21 season.

They have also now claimed 33 points at Rodney Parade in League Two this season, the same amount they claimed in the whole of last season from their 23 home league fixtures.

Indeed, only Bradford, Wimbledon and Walsall - who are all currently in the fourth tier's top three - have claimed more home victories in League Two this season than Jardim's side.

It's a far cry from only two seasons ago, when Newport ended the 2022-23 campaign with 25 points from their home league games - the joint-second worst return in the division.

It certainly offers real hope for Saturday when Newport host a Notts County side who remain firmly in the mix to secure promotion - either via the play-offs or automatically - into League One.

Jardim will hope to be boosted by the return of top scorer Bobby Kamwa for the visit of the Magpies this weekend.

The 25-year-old missed Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Grimsby Town due to muscle fatigue, although Jardim said the winger was left out as a precautionary measure to ensure he didn't worsen the problem by featuring.

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In the interest of balance, it should be noted that Newport's away form this season has, to put it bluntly, not been anywhere near the level required.

In fact, the away stats make for pretty shocking reading.

Newport's tally of three away league wins is the joint-worst this season while their tally of 13 points gained from a possible 60 so far is joint-worst alongside Tranmere - who actually have a marginally higher points per game average than Newport in away games given that they have played one match fewer on the road.

The Exiles have also conceded a league-high of 39 goals in away games this season at a rate of almost exactly two per game.

So there are obvious improvements to be made when it comes to Newport's travels.

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Now 13 points adrift of the top seven and 15 points clear of the relegation zone, Newport sit safe in the knowledge that, in terms of the table at least, little rests on their final eight games of the campaign.

But for Jardim, the run-in represents the perfect opportunity for his players to prove they are worthy of his and the club's backing in the future.

Kyle Hudlin, David Ajiboye, Kieron Evans and Noah Mawene all see their loan deals with the club expire in the summer.

Jardim - in conjunction with chairman Huw Jenkins - will then have to pore through the contract situations of the numerous players whose deals expire following the conclusion of the season.

Nick Townsend, Aaron Wildig, James Clarke, Kyle Jameson and Shane McLoughlin will, as things stand, become free agents after June 2025, meaning Newport could be in for another summer of transformation.

The 2024-25 campaign has proven to be one big audition for Jardim himself, but with safety secured and the play-offs realistically beyond them, the spotlight must now shift firmly on to Newport's players over the final weeks of the season.

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