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Goalkeeper Nick Townsend says the Newport County squad want to repay the fans with a strong finish to their season at Rodney Parade.

Newport have faded from League Two play-off contention after four consecutive defeats.

But they now have three successive home games in a week, starting with the visit of Accrington Stanley on Tuesday.

"I think our home form has kept us going especially with the fans," said 29-year-old Townsend.

"I feel that is the main thing which has kept us where we are today, especially with the banter.

"We know how hostile it can be at Rodney Parade, that's what we want it to be. We want to make it a fortress, we want to give back to the fans now and make sure they go out on a bit of a high."

Three of Newport's four recent defeats have been on the road. Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Grimsby prompted manager Graham Coughlan to say he hoped some of the players did not "waste their careers."

Newport are currently 16th in the table on 55 points. One more win would see them overhaul last season's tally of 57 points which earned them a position of 15th in the final table.

Former Birmingham City stopper Townsend has established himself as the number one keeper at Newport this term, starting in all but two of the club 's League Two games.

With more than 120 Newport league appearances under his belt, Townsend believes finishing with more points this season than last - despite some horrendous injury problems - would be a deserved milestone and a sign of progress.

He said: "I think that's what we deserve. You don't always get what you deserve but as a group we need to show we are improving each year.

"We have come in with more or less a whole new squad this year. Beating last year's tally would help us show we are going in the right direction as a club."