There is a massive feelgood factor at Newport County right now. The Exiles could go top of League Two with a win against Carlisle United at home and manager Michael Flynn has signed a new, improved contract.
Flynn has attracted strong interest from other clubs, including Lincoln City, but the County manager is committed to his home city club.
His new deal with Newport runs through to the summer of 2022 and was revealed during a fans forum at Rodney Parade.
“We want to keep the feelgood factor going,” says Flynn. “But it is also about being level-headed and focused on what we need to do.”
Flynn’s team will go top if leaders Exeter draw at second-placed Crewe, while Cheltenham Town (at Oldham), Forest Green Rovers (at home v Crawley) and Swindon Town (at Bradford City) all fail to win.
If Newport do sustain a promotion challenge there is no doubt interest in Flynn would grow dramatically.
https://twitter.com/NewportCounty/status/1180422383091494914?s=20
“The new contract is great news and hopefully he’s here for a long time to come,” said County striker Padraig Amond.
“We want the manager to stay because he’s been successful since he’s taken over.
“Every year that he’s been here, the club have improved on and off the pitch.
“Every time a job does come up, I’m sure a lot of supporters are thinking ‘is this the one?’ and eventually the gaffer will move on to bigger and better things.
“We hope he does because that means we’re doing our jobs right as players and it means we’ve been successful. When he’s linked with these jobs, it’s because things are going right.
“When he moves on there will obviously be people disappointed, but you have to look at the position of the club when the gaffer took over to where we are now.
“That’s how you judge success and when the gaffer moves on, there will be a lot more people interested in the job than there were the last time.
“The club is in a better position to be able to continue the success.”
Carlisle are 16th in League Two, but Amond has a warning for County players, saying: “It’s going to be a tough game.
“Carlisle have some good players, but any game at home we feel we can win because our support is so good and we have a really good record here.
“Hopefully we earn a victory and that puts us top of the league, but it doesn’t matter at this stage of the season.
“It’s just about taking the points, making sure we keep winning and see where we are at the end of the season.”
Amond is hoping to be back in the Newport team after being rested for the win at Swindon a week ago and he admits: “I was disappointed but Jamma (Jamille Matt) and Tristan (Abrahams) did well and I’m ready to do a job again off the bench, if that’s what needs to be.
“I want to be starting and contributing to the team, but we’ve got a lot of competition and the squad is stronger than it was last year in terms of strength in depth.
“I think we’ve got more competition in training and more options to come off the bench this year.
“Hopefully we can keep this run we’re on going and if we can make a couple of signings in January to reinforce the squad again in January, it will make us even stronger.”
SkyBet League Two
Current table
| | HOME | | AWAY | |||||||||||||
| P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Exeter | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +6 | 22 |
| 2 | Crewe | 11 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +5 | 22 |
| 3 | Cheltenham | 11 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | +10 | 21 |
| 4 | Forest Green | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +6 | 21 |
| 5 | Swindon | 11 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 20 |
| 6 | Newport Co | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +5 | 20 |
| 7 | Grimsby | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | +6 | 18 |
| 8 | Bradford | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 7 | +5 | 18 |
| 9 | Colchester | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +3 | 16 |
| 10 | Crawley | 11 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 9 | +2 | 16 |
| 11 | Cambridge U | 11 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +3 | 15 |
| 12 | Plymouth | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 7 | +2 | 15 |
| 13 | Northampton | 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | +2 | 15 |
| 14 | Walsall | 11 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -3 | 15 |
| 15 | Port Vale | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 | -3 | 14 |
| 16 | Carlisle | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | -5 | 14 |
| 17 | Macclesfield | 11 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | -1 | 13 |
| 18 | Salford | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 12 | -8 | 11 |
| 19 | Mansfield | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | -4 | 10 |
| 20 | Oldham | 11 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 10 |
| 21 | Leyton Orient | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 10 | -6 | 10 |
| 22 | Morecambe | 11 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 11 | -10 | 7 |
| 23 | Scunthorpe | 11 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 11 | -8 | 6 |
| 24 | Stevenage | 11 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -8 | 5 |