County hoping for more cup magic

NEWPORT County face another week of cup action and Graham Coughlan will be hoping they can recreate the magic that has earned them five wins out of seven to date in three different competitions this season.

Tonight they head to the Milton Keynes to face MK Dons in the last 16 of the EFL Trophy Southern Section and on Sunday will welcome League One Derby County to Rondey Parade for the second round of the FA Cup.

So far this season they have beaten Luton Town and Portsmouth in the Carabao Cup, prior to losing at Leicester City, Colchester United in the FA Cup and Southampton U21 and Exeter City in the EFL competition. Forest Green beat them to top the pool.

Having stopped a run of three league games without a win last weekend with their 2-0 home triumph over Gillingham, the stage is set for some more knock-out cup heroics this week. Most the of footballing eyes around the world will be focused on the World Cup in Qatar, but Coughlan won’t be taking his eye off the ball.

Two goals from Priestley Farquharson carried the day last weekend to move the Exiles up one place to 18th in the table and thrust Gillingham into the bottom two. More importantly, with only two of the teams below them in the table winning last weekend. Crawley and Harrogate, they were able to move further away from the drop zone.

But while Coughlan, and Irishman with no team to support in Qatar, isn’t taking much interest in the World Cup, County wing back Aaron Lewis was last night glued to the TV watching Wales open their account against USA.

Lewis came through the ranks with many of the seven Swansea Academy products who have head to Qatar with Rob Page’s Wales squad - Joe Allen, Ben Cabango, Connor Roberts, Ben Davies, Joe Rodon, Dan James and travelling reserve Ollie Cooper – and hopes to use their example as motivation to help him achieve his ultimate goal of playing for Wales.

“I played with quite a few of them and it’s great to see them going to the World Cup,” said Lewus, who has 13 Wales U21 caps to his credit..

“I’ve sent some good luck messages and I will be watching all the Wales game and cheering them on. I’ve come through the academy with many of them.

“To see them go on and do what they’ve done is something I can look at and try to emulate in my career. It’s a goal that I can set myself to go on to play for Wales.

“A couple of good seasons then you’re almost touching it.”