Flynn wants Newport to kick on from Scunthorpe win

Posted Sunday, January 12, 2020 by PA

Newport boss Michael Flynn hopes his side’s 2-1 success at Scunthorpe can be a turning point after struggling to match expectations on the back of reaching the Sky Bet League Two play-off final last season.

Two goals in four second-half minutes from substitute Jamille Matt and Padraig Amond saw the Exiles end a 10-match winless run against the team they had beaten in their most recent league victory back in October.

“Looking at it before today’s game, we were six points behind where we were at the same stage last season and we’ve played two less games,” Flynn said.

“We ended up getting to the play-off final, so it’s not all doom and gloom.

“Yes, expectations have been raised and it’s not good when you go 10 games without a win in the league, but I think we’ve answered a lot of our critics.

“I’m over the moon to win again, especially after the first-half performance, when I thought we were terrible.

“I don’t do it much, because it loses its effect, but I read the riot act to the players at half-time.

“In the second half our game management was excellent, our front three caused problems and the midfield were winning second balls.

“Everyone did their job and as an away performance, I can’t give any more credit than that. They were outstanding.”

Abo Eisa fired the hosts in front with a rare moment of quality, finding the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area seven minutes before the break.

Both teams produced their best football when playing into a swirling wind and, in the second half, Matt came off the bench to follow up after goalkeeper Rory Watson had parried a shot from Tristan Abrahams.

Scunthorpe’s task got tougher in the 75th minute when striker Lee Novak was sent off following an altercation with Newport’s Ryan Inniss and, from the resulting free-kick, Amond hooked the visitors in front.

Scunthorpe boss Paul Hurst said: “It was a tough day.

“Newport play a certain way, but I thought we stood up to that really well in the first half, in difficult conditions.

“In the second half they put us under pressure, which frustrated me because we had the win at our backs.

“I’m not convinced about the sending off and conceding almost straight away made it extremely difficult for us.

“There was a lot of what they call ‘game management’ after that and that’s where you need the referee to intervene and I don’t think he had his best day.

“Overall we didn’t do enough, even at the start of the second half, in terms of getting out and making it more difficult for Newport.

“They just kept pumping it back in and we didn’t get high enough up the pitch to help solve that problem.”