Flynn’s braced for a pitch battle after his boys start off in style
The footballing revolution at Newport County gathered pace this week with Michael Flynn’s men tacking Cambridge United to school in the Carabao Cup second round.
It may only have ended in a 1-0 win, and earned the Exiles another home draw with Watford in the next round, but it was the emphatic style with which they played the game that really caught the eye.
Flynn has told his players to carry on in the same mode when Barrow arrive at Rodney Parade today for the second League 2 outing of the new campaign and is determined to play a more modern game while the weather, and infamous Newport pitch, permit his side to pass the ball with confidence.
Flynn’s side may only have scored one goal against Cambridge, but they made twice as many passes and enjoyed 72% possession. That allowed them to create chances for 29 shots – seven more than Liverpool managed in their opening Premiership match against Leeds, as well as 120 more passes.
“We’ve always started pretty well since I’ve been here and we’ve always played good football at the beginning of the season. Then the pitch goes, the injuries come and we are down to the bare bones,” said Flynn.
“That has happened every season. We have a blip around the time the pitch goes. That’s not making excuses, it’s a proven fact.
“We want to play good football and we have done it so far. We are going to look to continue it because we have addressed the injury situation and we’re overcoming what the pitch is going to be like.
“We feel we’ve got the players who can still handle the football on a boggy pitch. As long as the players have the confidence to keep believing in the style, I know they have the ability.”
Matchwinner Scott Twine and Josh Sheehan ran the show on Tuesday night and will be in charge of leading the tactical assault on newly promoted Barrow. Matt Dolan is due to return after missing the Carabao Cup tie and his new role in the middle of the back three is also crucial to the new approach.
“We’ve started well and we need to continue. Some things are going well but there are other areas in which we need to improve,” added Flynn.
“There is good competition for places and everyone needs to work hard to get into the team and then to hold onto their shirt.
“Barrow will be full of confidence after gaining promotion and then adding to their squad. The gap between coming up from the Conference to League 2 isn’t like jumping from the Championship to the Premiership.”
Soren Kragh Andersen claimed his second win of the Tour de France with another shrewd late solo attack on stage 19.
Team Sunweb’s Andersen, 26, attacked from a break 16km out and powered to the line in Champagnole, 53 seconds ahead of Luka Mezgec in second.
Ireland’s Sam Bennett won his duel with Peter Sagan and looks set to take the green jersey, leading by 55 points with two stages remaining.
Primoz Roglic comfortably retained 57-second lead in the yellow jersey.
The Slovenian will win his first Tour title should he remain in the lead following Saturday’s mountain time trial, with tradition dictating the yellow jersey is not attacked on the final, processional stage into Paris on Sunday.
Having won stage 14 with a similar solo move, Kragh Andersen is the fourth rider in this year’s Tour to win two stages after Wout van Aert, Caleb Ewan and Tadej Pogacar, who remains second overall.
The Dane never looked back after kicking away from an elite 12-man group that included Bennett and Sagan, only letting up inside the final kilometre after screaming at a TV motorbike for a time check to ensure his lead.
“I have to say that, in the last kilometres, I was screaming in pure disbelief,” he said.
“I’ve got two stage wins on the same Tour de France - it’s incredible. I’m speechless. I was in the mix with some of the best riders of the world for this type of race.” his