Newport County head coach Nelson Jardim insisted there were “a lot of positives” to be taken from Monday night's 3-1 defeat at Bradford City. County trailed 1-0 at the break but started the second half in impressive fashion and levelled through 6ft 9ins striker Kyle Hudlin’s bullet header in the 65th minute. The Exiles created plenty of chances at Valley Parade but couldn’t add to that goal, and they paid the price as two late strikes gave the home side all three points.
It leaves Jardim’s men in 10th place in the League Two table with five wins and five defeats from 10 games, including four losses in five on the road, but the Portuguese believes the performance was one to be proud of. “There were a lot of positives from this game, we go away proud but know there is a lot to improve on,” he said. “It was not the result that we wanted, but I thought we were good.
I could see a lot of improvements from the other away games. “We came back into the game to draw and in that period, I felt we were the better team, then we conceded a second goal. That was a bit unfair and then the third came when we had lost our shape.
“Overall, I don’t think it was a two-goal difference game and it was a defeat in which there were a lot of positives, and little details we have to make sure we get right.” One of those details was the fact that County were down to 10 men for Bradford’s second goal on 75 minutes, with winger Bobby Kamwa having to wait 30 seconds to return to .
