King hoping to crown the season with play-off spot
NEWPORT County goalkeeper Tom King sealed his place in the Guinness World Record books when the Exiles faced Cheltenham Town earlier this season.
King scored direct from a goal-kick in a 1-1 draw for a strike which was later recorded as officially the longest effort in competitive football history.
It earned the 26-year-old plenty of headlines but as the two sides prepare to meet again tomorrow, all King is worried about is helping Mike Flynn’s County seal a League Two play-off spot.
Leaders Cheltenham will arrive at Newport having already sealed promotion. County, by contrast, are sixth but their play-off hopes are firmly in their hands.
“I will be more worried about keeping Cheltenham out this time! I make no bones about the fact I was disappointed with how their goal went in against us last time,” said King.
“The goal was a freak and I will be looking to keep this run of clean sheets going. The game earlier in the season was a tough one.
“The feeling in our camp is Cheltenham are one of the better sides we have played this year and they fully deserve promotion. We know their qualities and strengths and we are prepared.
“We know the challenge is going to be tough, but hopefully we do enough to make sure there are another three games to come after next weekend.”
King has returned to the Newport goal for the season’s run-in in place of Nick Townsend. He has kept three clean sheets since coming in for the match with Crawley.
He has also featured in Wales squads in recent times and is a contender to go to this summer’s delayed Euro 2020.
“I don’t think we have been overstretched in the three games I have been in for and I am happy with that,” said King, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
“With my talking and organisation, I like to be on top of things before they happen.
“We have done extremely well defensively with three clean sheets on the spin which is reminiscent of the start of last season when I had just signed.”
On his own future, King added: “Nothing has been discussed as yet. We will just wait until the end of the season now. I’d just like to focus on my football and let everybody else take care of that stuff.”