Amond back on familiar ground
GLOBE ARENA 3pm MORECAMBE v NEWPORT NEWPORT COUNTY striker Padraig Amond returns to former club Morecambe this afternoon hoping to fire his new one to all three points, writes Carl Field.
The 29-year-old Irishman was the Exiles’ match-winner on Tuesday night as Cheltenham Town were beaten 1-0 at Rodney Parade – a result that catapulted County back into the League Two play-off places.
Amond has two goals in four league starts since arriving from Hartlepool United and is back at the Globe Arena today to face a side for whom he netted 21 goals in 90 appearances in all competitions between 2013-15.
Morecambe, meanwhile, currently lie 20th in the table with just one win from their opening seven games – which came on the opening day at home against Cheltenham.
“It’s a game I’m looking forward to,” said Amond ahead of a return to his old stamping ground.
“I’ve got a couple of good friends there so it’ll be nice to go back and see everyone.
“It’s weird how it works because the following week we’re playing Grimsby, another one of my former clubs, and stuff like that excites me.
“Any team that Jim Bentley puts out is always a good team. He and Kenny McKenna do a very good job up there as a management team and they’re very talented people.”
Amond is certainly enjoying life at his new club and said he had no qualms about joining Mike Flynn’s side.
“One of the things I looked at when I was signing was his record at the club and he’s got a fantastic record since he took over,” continued Amond.
“People were saying to me that I was joining a team that nearly got relegated last year, but I really didn’t look at it that way.
“I looked at a team that had promotion form so that was the exciting thing for me.”
On what he thinks the team can achieve this term, Amond added: “At the minute I think it’s about taking it one game at a time.
“But I also think we’ve proven that we’re as good as anyone in the league.
“It’s just getting that consistency which is the hard thing.
“Hopefully, we can pick up another win at Morecambe and who knows where that’ll take us.”