By Rob Carbon
Newport County manager Michael Flynn insists he will not sink too low after his side’s latest setback of an alarming slump that has seen them tumble down League Two.
Three days after getting back on the horse with a first win in nine games, County slumped to shock defeat against Southend United.
Having just about seen off the second worst team in the Football League last weekend, the next target for Flynn’s men was to make it back-to-back wins for the first time since the first week of December against the lowest ranked club in League Two.
But it was home defeat – settled by Tom Clifford’s free-kick after 74 minutes – and while County stayed fifth in the table the former long time leaders have taken just seven points from their last 10 matches.
“The run concerns me but just as I wasn’t getting carried away when we were top of the league I am not getting too despondent now,” said Flynn.
“I’d much rather everyone was saying about how good we are and that we had taken the three points by doing the right things but it was a sloppy goal and a frustrating night.
“It’s a missed opportunity and a bad result, let’s not dress it up.
“I am sure many people will be writing us off. Fine, they can crack on. But we’ll make sure we are there or thereabouts at the end of the season.”
Southend arrived on the back of a 5-1 pasting at Port Vale, where County are headed on Saturday, and were desperate for points having lost their last four games.
They harried and hustled County, who once again found playing their natural passing game virtually impossible on a pitch that began to freeze harder and harder as the game wore on.
By the end the noise from the players studs on the surface made it sound as though they were running on concrete.
“It’s hard to create things on that pitch,” added Flynn.
“It’s the same for both teams, I know that, but we lost too many balls in midfield and we’ve got to take our chances when they come because they will be few and far between.
Flynn made three changes from the side that had won 1-0 three days earlier. He put Padraig Amond alongside new signing, and matchwinner on his debut against Grimsby, Nicky Maynard up front, gave another January window acquisition, Anthony Hartigan a run in midfield, and started Priestly Farquharson on the right side of a back four.
Early attempts at stringing some passes together by the home side were quickly shut down by Southend, although they did at least bring County two early corners. They came to nothing and a very even first half without a shot on target from either side.
Both goalkeepers kicked long, the bounce of the ball on the hard pitch made it difficult to control and the home hopes were dented when the influential Matty Dolan had to be replaced by Jack Evans after only 28 minutes.
Flynn made a tactical change after the interval by switching Ryan Taylor for Amond and his greater physicality caused different problems for the visitors.
Watch the highlights from last night’s 1-0 win over Newport County at Rodney Parade 👇 pic.twitter.com/CehNLJbZgg
— Southend United (@SUFCRootsHall) February 10, 2021
Even so, chances remained few and far between, although Farquharson should at least have hit the target with a far post header from a superb cross from the left by Ryan Haynes seen minutes after the break.
The introduction of front runner Simeon Akinola on the hour mark gave Southend new impetus and he should have scored with a header when unmarked at a corner shortly after Micky Demetriou has bravely blocked a close range shot from Tom Clifford moments earlier.
It was that man Clifford who struck the winner from a free kick on the edge of the ‘D’ in the 74th minute and County’s last hope if snatching anything from the game evaporated when Mark Oxley saved from point range on the six yard line from Maynard.