Lucky seven is the target for Willmott
NEWPORT County winger Robbie Willmott will be in seventh heaven tonight if he can help crush his old side Cambridge again.
The Exiles are on a six-game winning streak against the U’s and are relishing the chance to notch up another victory at the Abbey Stadium today (3pm). And Willmott is determined to maintain their stranglehold on the fixture to notch up their first away win of the season.
“It’s always nice to go back and see some familiar faces, I like the mixed reaction I get as well when I go there and the banter.
“I had some fantastic times and playoff finals, it means a lot to go back to the place where I got my first professional contract and my first chance in the game, but I can’t respect them too much because we have a job to do.
“It’s been fantastic against Cambridge recently and it’s a game we all look forward to now.
We went there last season and played some great football and put in a great away performance when we knew we couldn’t drop any points.
If we can put in a full 90 minute performance instead of a 45 minute one like last weekend then we can match anyone in this league.”
Joss Labadie will captain the side again despite the return of last season’s skipper Mark O’Brien, who will now take on the role of club captain off the pitch.
Newport only picked up six wins away from home last season but still reached the playoff final.
And Willmott believes a tilt at the top three is on the cards if they can take their Rodney Parade form on the road.
“We looked at the points we dropped and what we would have needed to get automatic promotion and worked out if we tidy up our away form then we can have a real chance of going up automatically,” added Willmott.
“If we can grab some vital away points then we can potentially go one better than last season.
“But everyone has said it, we’re a marked side in this division but I think we’ve got enough to go one better this time.
“The new players have been brilliant and done really well since coming in. Expectations are growing each season and the new characters add a lot to the training ground.
“We’re stronger than last season, the payers the gaffer has brought in have really pushed us on.”