‘It’s time we picked up wins in league’
GRESTY ROAD 3pm
CREWE ALEX v NEWPORT CO
NEWPORT County boss Michael Flynn insists that the euphoria surrounding last weekend’s FA Cup third-round heroics in knocking out Leicester City have already been confined to history as his side attempts to get back to winning ways in League Two.
Having been up with the leaders after a brilliant start to the campaign, that saw them win six and draw one of their opening eight games, they haven’t won in the league since beating Northampton 3-1 on November 27.
The FA Cup run has once again rocketed the club into the football headlines, as well as bringing in pots of cash, but Flynn knows that he cannot afford to let the gap of six points between his side’s current position of 13th and the playoff places grow any bigger.
“We got our feet firmly back on the ground again as soon as we were back in training on Monday. We have got to start winning games because we haven’t been on a good run in the league,” admitted Flynn.
“After our draw with Tottenham last year we had three very difficult away league games against Lincoln, Mansfield and Colchester and lost them all. Now we need to kick-start our season again and put together some back-to-back wins.”
In fact, there were only four wins to savour in the 17 league games after the 1-1 draw at Rodney Parade in the fourth round last year as County picked up a mere 18 points out of 51 to end their campaign.
Flynn wants to guard against that, especially as the play-off places are still tantalisingly close and his side has a game in hand on a number of the teams above him.
“The expectations levels were raised when we were near the top of the table earlier in the season, but I didn’t get carried away at the time. We’ve had a lot of injuries and now we just need to get everyone back fit,” he added.
“Crewe are a bit of an up-anddown side and we have got to go there and try to get the full three points.
“It will be difficult because they have got some good players and they will want to knock us off our pedestal.”
Newport drew 1-1 at Crewe last season and were beaten 2-1 at home. When the two sides met earlier this season, Flynn’s men enjoyed a 1-0 home win back in August.
Dan Butler, who missed the FA Cup win over Leicester City through suspension, will be available again, while Welsh international midfielder Andrew Crofts and Joss Labadie are close to returning from injury.