Newport player-manager Steve Tate insists that the current financial crisis gripping the Island club had no bearing on Saturday's 2-0 Eastern Division defeat at Banbury United.

Port's future remains in grave doubt after they were put into voluntary receivership last week, but Tate said: "My team were fully committed to the cause on Saturday and all they were interested in was getting a result.

"The only thing on their minds was football.

"There were no frustrations on my part, because my players went out and did exactly what I asked them to do.

"At the risk of sounding like a worn-out record, we actually outplayed Banbury and even their manager and captain admitted it afterwards.

"Two-nil sounds a convincing scoreline but they didn't score their second until they got a penalty in the 94th minute."

Banbury's Football League-bound Frenchman Norman Sylla headed the Oxfordshire side in front after 22 minutes - his 27th goal in 20 games.

But Newport fought tooth and nail to stave off further damage and it took an injury-time handball offence by Peter Tagg to allow Ady Fuller to bag Banbury's second from the spot.

With Fleet's game at Rothwell postponed, the result leaves Tate's men second-to-bottom of the table, two points adrift of St Leonard's and Corby and still with every chance of pulling themselves out of the mire.

But behind-the-scenes events may yet overtake them and Port's on-the-field future is guaranteed only as far as this Saturday when they entertain St Leonards in the Eastern Division.

Moves are already afoot on the Island to try and drum up interest in saving the troubled club. The Newport Supporters' Trust have organised an open meeting at St George's Park tomorrow night directly after the Dr Martens League Cup showdown with Salisbury.

Club press officer Jim Baldwin reported: "The Trust are hoping the receivers will be in attendance to fully explain the situation and then there'll be brainstorming session for people to come up with ideas.

"There's been talk of the supporters putting so much money in each with a possibility of them running the club."

BARRY Blankley's verdict was "result disappointing, performance encouraging" after Bashley stumbled to only their second defeat of the Eastern Division season 2-1 at King's Lynn.

After a run of ten unbeaten games stretching back to early September, Bash succumbed to a double strike from Lee Stephenson which sealed the Linnets' fourth win in a row.

Blankley said: "It wasn't the right result, but our performance was superb. We played the better football and we hit the woodwork twice, but it was just one of those days when they threw bodies in the way of everything we flung at them. It was so frustrating because the lads came off knowing they had played well and yet they got nothing out of it.

"It was two sloppy mistakes that cost us, but we'll end up playing a lot worse than that and winning games."

Bashley's Craig Davis had a goal disallowed early on and, although Blankley had no quibbles with the decision, he wished the linesman had been as eagle-eyed when Stephenson fired King's Lynn ahead in the 64th minute.

He said: "I didn't see it myself, but Paul Sales was warming up at the time and said it was clearly offside."

As Bash pushed forward to get back on terms, they were caught out again by another deft finish from Stephenson, but still they kept pressing and hit the Linnets with a barrage of pressure late on.

In stoppage time, Craig Anstey's cross-shot cannoned back off the bar and was cleared for a corner and then substitute Sales also hit the woodwork with a header.

The pressure finally told from another corner which Hussey chipped back across goal for Sales to head in.

The fit-again 28-year-old marksman has now scored in both substitute's appearances since returning from a groin injury.

"It must be two goals in about 40 minutes for Paul, so that's really good news " smiled Blankley. "There were more positives than negatives to come out of the game."