SOCCER COOL COREY HELPS EXILES STRETCH RUN
NEWPORT County super sub Corey Whitely believes his raw attacking intent can help the League Two contenders mount a serious promotion challenge.
The winger was sent on to create a breakthrough and almost immediately set up Jamille Matt for his 77thminute winner against Port Vale.
Exiles manager Mike Flynn has been nagging Whitely to work on his defensive game, but the 28-year-old hopes to supply the goals for a title tilt.
“The gaffer is always on me about defending and that side of the game, he knows what I can do going forward,”
■ MERTHYR Town won 1-0 at Plymouth Parkway to reach the FA Cup second qualifying round.
Ian Traylor’s 75th-minute shot into the bottom corner proved to be the difference after Merthyr had he said. “He said just be positive, get the ball and drive at the defence and that’s how the goal came.
“I nearly got a goal as well, there was a point at the end of the game when the gaffer got onto me about managing the game when I shot at goal instead of taking the ball to the corner. The team is flying, it doesn’t matter where we are in the table, but we’ve got a good foundation and hopefully carry it on.”
It has been almost 10 hours since Newport last conceded in the league after their latest narrow victory.
created the bulk of the chances.
Kerry Morgan, Jarrad Wright and Tom Meechan all went close to opening the scoring before the break, before Traylor’s strike proved crucial.
The 1-0 triumph took their stunning unbeaten run to 17 League Two matches.
Whitely and Matt were unleashed from the bench and combined to carve out the breakthrough. Whitely surged down the right, leaving Adam Crookes in his wake, before crossing the ball across the six-yard box for Matt to score his first of the season.
The Exiles striker was then dragged down in the box by Port Vale captain Leon Legge, but Padraig Amond saw his penalty saved by Scott Brown. Legge hit the bar with a header in injury time, but Newport saw out the game to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
“We’re buzzing to get the win, it was a tough game, the teams cancelled each other out with the style of football we play,” added Whitely.
“But we stayed in the game. The gaffer made some good subs which changed the game and in the end we nicked it.”