Michael Flynn hopeful EFL might grant request for Newport to switch grounds

Posted Sunday, February 28, 2021 by PA

Newport manager Michael Flynn is hopeful the EFL can come to the rescue and give his side the chance to play some of their home games away from Rodney Parade following Saturday’s goalless League Two draw with Stevenage.

County chairman Gavin Foxall has formally written to the league authorities asking for permission to switch from the sand and mud heap on which they are currently having to play and his request is due to be given a hearing on Thursday.

“If we get the chance to move some of our home matches it would be welcome, but I do feel sorry for the ground staff because they are doing their best in an almost-impossible situation,” said Flynn after the stalemate.

“If it happens it is something I would be comfortable with. There is precedent for it this season with Harrogate.

“It isn’t the norm, but this season isn’t normal either. There needs to be allowances for situations like this and hopefully we might get something positive.”

There were only three shots on target all game, two from Stevenage, and in the last five matches at Rodney Parade there have been 12 shots on target for the visitors and 14 for the home side.

“I can’t fault their effort and commitment. And their work rate is spot on, but it comes to something when our best chance of scoring is from a direct free-kick,” added Flynn.

“I feel for the players and we almost paid for making one mistake today. We made two against Forest Green and they punished us for both of them.”

Stevenage boss Alex Revell was pleased to see his side make it four games without defeat.

But the Boro manager was frustrated when Elliott List fluffed his lines in front of goal a minute into the second half after showing Micky Demetriou a clean pair of heels to force a one-on-one chance with home keeper Nick Townsend.

“As a striker you are paid to score and that miss is something we’ve seen too much of this season,” said Revell.

“It is a moment we’ve seen a lot of this season and that’s probably why we are where we are. In those moments you have to be ruthless, you have to be calm and you have to be calculated. It is frustrating.

“They did the job we asked them to do and they dealt with the pitch, they dealt with the long balls, the long throw-ins and the corners. They dealt with it brilliantly and then we waited for the moment.

“We had one in the first half, when we should have done better, and then Elliott List had his big chance. When you look back on the best chances in the game, we had them.

“Elliott has scored some important goals for us and we will keep on working with him. It’s a clean sheet, another point on the road and we are moving away from the danger area.”