POTTER: WE BETTER NOT COUNTY ON EASY RIDE
GRAHAM POTTER is determined Brighton will not become another FA Cup scalp for Newport County.
Potter knows Newport boss Mike Flynn from his time in charge of Swansea City, and is ready for a tough test against the League Two side in tomorrow’s third round tie.
County knocked out Leeds, Leicester and Middlesbrough, and took Tottenham to a replay in recent seasons, and Albion manager Potter (above) believes that has built confidence in a team lying second in the table.
“Mike Flynn’s done a fantastic job there,” he said. “He has a good group that fight for each other, they have a good way of playing.
“They have historically had those results that have allowed them to grow and develop as a club. They’re pushing for promotion, they’ve got a good feeling and will be looking forward to the game no doubt.
“I came across him a few times when I was at Swansea, I like him, I like his character, how he goes about his work. You can see they’ve made steps as a team since he first arrived. Huge credit to him for that.
“They’ve used cup runs to boost their profile, to grow the team and the club. I’m sure promotion will be the aim for them this year, but at the same time I’m sure they will use an FA Cup run to improve that. We need to try to stop that. Hopefully they will be celebrating just promotion rather than a cup run.”
Potter thinks the absence of supporters could be a blow for the hosts as Rodney Parade will lack a cup-tie atmosphere. He added: “Not having fans takes away from the magic of the FA Cup. The noise and the hostility, they make it difficult.”
County boss Flynn feels the pitch could also cause difficulties for the Premier League visitors.
Dragons play Ospreys in a Guinness PRO14 rugby union clash at the ground tonight, and Flynn said: “It could be awful - it depends how cut up the pitch gets. I hope this is an eye-opener to Brighton.
“I hope they walk through the gates of Rodney Parade and think they can’t wait to get out. We have to use things to our advantage.”