Newport County supporters at Swindon Town.

Bring On The Dragons Say Flynn’s Hurting Exiles

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Wrexham watch out. Newport County are hurting after their 2-1 defeat at Swindon Town – and are aiming to bounce back in Tuesday’s Emirates FA Cup replay at Rodney Parade.

County dropped to sixth in League Two and manager Michael Flynn says: “I want a reaction the players.

“We were the better team in the second half, but overall it wasn’t good enough.

“Standards weren’t anywhere near where they should be or where we can be, so I want a reaction.”

County are likely to be without Andrew Crofts and Mark O’Brien in the replay against Wrexham. Both were forced off with hamstring injuries and are unlikely to be fit.

Newport and the Dragons clash in a match which will give the winners a home third round match against former Premier League champions Leicester City in round three.

Swindon went ahead after 64 seconds at the County Ground Michael Doughty fired past goalkeeper Joe Day, while Padraig Amond scored his 11th goal of the season just after the break to put his side on course for a point Kaiyne Woolery struck the winner for the hosts on 82 minutes.

“We just didn’t start at all,” said Flynn. “To concede a goal after 64 seconds is poor. Inexcusable.

“The amount of time he had to bring the ball down, turn and shoot without a challenge on him is not good enough.

“Josh Sheehan missed a sitter, but we could easily have conceded three and we had to change it.”

County switched from 3-5-2 to 4-3-3 with less than half an hour gone in a bid to change the course of the match, sending on substitute Antoine Semenyo for David Pipe.

Swindon dominated those early stages and Flynn said: “We could easily have conceded three in the first half.

“There was a reaction in the second half, but it doesn’t mean anything when you lose.”

Flynn made seven changes to the starting line-up for their CheckaTrade Trophy defeat at Cheltenham Town and switched back to the line-up fielded from the start against Wrexham in the Emirates FA Cup.

Newport were hurting on their trip back down the M4 from Swindon – and they are aiming to take it out on Wrexham when they play at Rodney Parade on Tuesday.

Newport County (3-5-2): Day, Pipe (Semenyo 26), Franks, O’Brien (Labadie 69), Demetriou, Butler, Bakinson, Crofts, capt (Bennett 44), Sheehan, Amond, Matt. Subs not used: Townsend, Harris, Pring, Forbes.

Swindon Town (4-5-1): Vigouroux, Knoyle, Nelson, Woolfenden, Iandolo, Dunne, Taylor (capt), Doughty, Woolery (Lancashire 89), Adebayo, Twine (McGlashan 73). Subs not used: McCormick, McCourt, Alzate, Smith, Pryce.

Referee: Dean Whitestone

Attendance: 6,204.

Newport remaining fixtures in 2018:

December

Tuesday 11 v Wrexham home (FA Cup)

Saturday 15 v MK Dons home

Saturday 22 v Lincoln City away

Wednesday 26 v Forest Green Rovers home

Saturday 29 v Crawley Town home

League Two table

Team P GD Pts
1 MK Dons 21 19 43
2 Lincoln City 20 18 41
3 Colchester 21 15 38
4 Bury 21 19 36
5 Mansfield 20 15 35
6 Newport 21 -2 35
7 Tranmere 21 6 34
8 Forest Green 21 9 33
9 Exeter 21 6 31
10 Stevenage 21 0 31
11 Swindon 21 -4 30
12 Oldham 21 7 29
13 Carlisle 21 -2 27
14 Northampton 21 -2 26
15 Port Vale 21 -3 26
16 Crawley 20 -4 26
17 Crewe 21 -5 25
18 Grimsby 21 -9 22
19 Morecambe 21 -13 22
20 Yeovil 19 0 21
21 Cheltenham 20 -11 20
22 Cambridge 21 -16 19
23 Notts County 21 -21 16
24 Macclesfield 21 -22 13

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