Newport County enjoyed an incredible season in which they managed to grab the second promotion place and return to the Football League after a 25-year long exile. The Exiles managed to really turn their fortunes around after nearly going down the previous season in what was a traumatic campaign. Justin Edinbrugh was able to settle down and start building in his first pre-season as a Newport manager and he made some shrewd signings in the summer in Aaron O'Connor, Tony James, Michael Flynn and Lenny Pidgeley. There was good mix ad vibe in the squad right from the start and the season was off to a great start as Mansfield were beaten 4:3 away from home on the opening day of the season. That dramatic win gave the players a real drive and impetus and they won all of their first five games and setting the pace early on, securing a memorable win over local rivals Hereford as well. Their momentum was stopped by a couple of defeats but Edinburgh continued to keep the good rhythm in the team and their attacking power was impressive and overpowering most teams in the league. Yet, the first weeks of autumn brought a return to reality and some poor results as Woking, Alfreton and Hyde all defeated the Welsh side while the team also suffered exits to lower division sides in the two cups too. The main reason for the slump was the lack of defensive shape and organisation and that remained a serious problem for a large chunk of the season as they failed to keep a single clean sheet from October to February. O'Connor was in sizzling form up front though and the loan arrived of Christian Jolley in November provided him with a live partner on the left wing. Newport remained close to the top and secured a memorable 5:2 win over Luton in December but there was a concerning lack of stability and consistency in the team that hampered their chances of really competing for the title. They suffered a humiliating 5:0 loss at home to Forest Green at the start of 2013 and their form remained relatively unstable in the weeks after that. However, the key moment in Newport's season arrived when Edinburgh decided to go for a different 3-5-2 formation for the game against Mansfield. It led to a 2:0 win against the eventual champions and that elusive first clean sheet in a long time. The new formation utilised the speed of Jolley, already signed on a permanent deal, and provided a backbone and more stability at the back while David Pipe and Andy Sandell were given the licence to provide width from the wing-back positions. There is a good argument that that was the best change in formation throughout the season in the whole league as it provided Newport with new-found impetus and they went on to win their next four games and putting themselves back in the race for the title. However, the busy run of games in the last couple of months eventually proved too much and a couple of defeats on the spin against Kidderminster and Stockport meant the they had to settle for the play-offs. Still, Newport remained a good side going forward and probably the best defensively, since their switch, in the last few weeks of the campaign and went to the games against Grimsby full of confidence. They won both games 1:0 and thus booked a place in the final against Wrexham where they stayed solid and disciplined all game and eventually struck twice at the end via their danger man Jolley and O'Connor to finish on top and kick off the big celebrations in Newport as the club continued their remarkable rejuvenation. And while they may have been lucky in the final game, they were one of the best and most consistently good teams in the league over the last ten months and that is why they are fully merited their promotion to the Football League.
