Howe let loose at the final whistle after the Toon won 2-1 thanks to goals from Malick Thiaw and Jacob Ramsey.
"That was a special connection," Howe said afterwards, after celebrating with the away support. "I'm grateful it's still there.
"It was not an act. That was me being very real and very genuine in terms of how I felt.
"I'll say it again. I've got to believe that I'm the right person to be in the job with all the sacrifices that it entails and I've got to feel that the players are playing for me.
"Today they showed that they are – but that has to be consistent moving forward."
While the team's slump had hit him personally, Howe revealed it had also brought the team closer together.
He added, "If anything they used it in a positive way and reinforced relationships.
"It made us all look inward and look at what we're doing and how we can do it better."