John Coleman backed referee Darren Drysdale after tonight’s match with Hartlepool was called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

Ronnie Moore and his team arrived to inspect the ground around 6-30pm but another downpour meant the game could not go ahead and it was postponed just before 7pm.

“I back the referee, it wasn’t going to improve and then it started raining again,” said Coleman.

“It’s a blow as the lads have prepared for the game and they were keyed up. Hartlepool had also travelled here but it vindicates that the Newport game we played two weeks ago should never have finished.

“That was worse than this but we still played it.”