FLYNN CONTENT WITH A KEY POINT GAINED
MICHAEL Flynn was in no mood to point fingers after his side let another lead slip in the final 15 minutes at Mansfield on Friday night. Instead of viewing the 1-1 draw as two points dropped the Newport County boss preferred to see it as a point gained in the final run in to promotion.
Had they won, County would have moved to within a point of the automatic promotion places, but they are still very much in the hunt.
Whether or not they can remain in the play-off places, or move even higher, will be determined by the next three games, all of which are at Rodney Parade.
Carlisle United visit on Tuesday night and top dogs Cambridge United arrive at the weekend.
“We took the lead and the goal that we gave away was poor – we didn’t stop the cross, it was a poor clearance and nobody tried to block the shot,” said a frustrated Flynn.
“I am gutted for the players because they gave everything and it was two points dropped.
“I’m greedy and want to win but we got a point and I’m not going to turn that down.
“We have come on some way if we are disappointed to draw at Mansfield because their squad is littered with a lot of very good League Two players.
“But because we took the lead, it’s still two dropped points.
“But it was a battling performance and an away point, so now we move on to Tuesday.”
Skipper Joss Labadie broke the deadlock in the 75th minute with a solo effort after picking up a loose ball 30 yards out, driving into the box and then shooting underneath the home goalkeeper with his left foot.
That may have come against the run of play, but it was just what they wanted to keep their promotion hopes alive.
Then a defensive lapse let them down again as Liam Shephard was robbed in his own area and Tyrese Sinclair shot high into the roof of the County net.
That stopped County making it back-to-back wins, but keeps them in the play-off places ahead of those three vital home games in a row.
Then there is another vital clash with fellow promotion hopefuls Exeter City.