PHIL Brown has underlined the seriousness of skipper Olly Lancashire's ongoing injury concerns, admitting his defence badly missed the 29-year-old's experience against Newport at the weekend.

Lancashire, who limped out of the 2-2 home draw with Yeovil last Tuesday, was unable to take his place in the Town squad although he did make the short trip to Wales on Saturday to lend his support to his teammates.

Brown made no secret of his displeasure at the performance of his defence, especially in the first half of the 2-1 defeat at Rodney Parade and faces potential problems at the back with Rollin Menayese set to serve a one-match ban after his two yellow cards on Saturday and Lancashire battling his body.

Matt Preston was set for a return to training last week but he hasn't featured since February with a knee injury that had looked likely to end his season, while Ryan McGivern was an unused substitute at the weekend. Chris Robertson also hasn't featured since the 3-1 loss at Exeter last month leaving Town's options in central defence in particular looking thin.

Brown said: "Lancs (Lancashire) wasn't too close if truth be known and it's a difficult one for me because the lad is suffering a little bit with something that is beyond physiotherapy.

"It's a medical condition. If he gets through it hopefully, the spine will heal and the neural problems he's been having will go away.

"Lancs was (at Newport) to lend support. If he was playing, I don't think we would have been beat, it's as simple as that. Why am I saying that? Because Lancs will head the ball.

"It's probably one of the reasons why he didn't play because he smashed into the goalkeeper for Yeovil (last week) and fell awkwardly and that's probably aggravated it a little bit more.

"They are the type of characters you want playing football for any football club as a manager and when you lose them, then you're going to struggle.''

Town were thoroughly second best in most departments against Newport and Brown believes his players must simply learn to adapt to what they are coming up against.

"It's not bullying tactics necessarily, it's a style of play,'' he added. "I think there are an awful lot of teams who have given us the respect and then we haven't stepped up to the plate.

"Four of the seven (matches he has been in charge) have played three centre-backs against us. These systems are coming up against us and we're not stepping up, it's as simple as that and responding to that.

"It was far too easy to go under as a centre-half and far too easy to accept a style of football against you and not do anything about it.''