Flynn puts Hammers on backburner

NEWPORT County have another opportunity to slay a Premier League giant next week, but first they are out to knock another one of their promotion rivals off top-spot.

League Two leaders Crewe are the visitors to Rodney Parade today, a week on from the Exiles’ first victory of the season against a much-fancied Plymouth Argyle.

Mike Flynn’s men face West Ham in the Carabao Cup next Tuesday, but he is fully focused on sending another statement David Artell’s high-flying side.

“Crewe are one of these teams, it could always be a bad time to play them, they could be struggling or doing really well but they’ve play got a result in them,” he said.

“They’ll have a really good season this year, you can never write them off. You have to match the and outwork them, but they’ve got a bit of fight about them.

“We’re looking forward to it at home and we want to win, it’s as simple as that.”

The Newport players have grown accustomed to some of world football’s biggest names coming to Rodney Parade in recent seasons.

Champions Manchester City, Tottenham, Leicester have all experienced a hostile welcome in south Wales as the city gears up for another huge cup clash under the lights.

But Flynn will not be letting any of his players’ minds wander to next week’s glamour tie with the Hammers.

“This game is more important than West Ham, “he said. “We want to go into that game on the back of a win. We want to be solid and continue what we’ve been doing, get the three points and head into Tuesday.”

They are unbeaten in 14 league matches and have conceded just five goals, but will be without key centre-half Mickey Demetriou for 14 weeks after he broke his leg against Plymouth.

■ New signing Eliot Richards is set to make his Merthyr Town return in their Southern Leage Premier South trip to Farnborough today (3pm) following his move from Hereford.