By Rob Carbon
Michael Flynn is hoping to evoke the spirit of 2017, and Newport County’s Great Escape, as his side tries to stay on track for promotion from League Two.
Back-to-back wins for the first time since the beginning of December have put them right back in the thick of the promotion race and the outcome of today’s trip to Morecambe could be crucial in the final account.
Morecambe are one place above County in fifth, have won their last three at home and snuck a 2-2 draw with a 94th minute goal at high flying Forest Green Rovers in midweek.
Two minutes later Newport earned a penalty that got them over the line with a 2-1 win at Cardiff City Stadium against Bradford City.
It means both teams will go into the game on a high and the visitors will have the added incentive of knowing that a win would move them above their hosts.
When Flynn first took over in 2017 he had 12 games left to perform the miracle of bridging an 11 point gap to safety.
He picked up seven wins and a draw and just managed to keep County in the Football League on the final day of the season. Now he finds himself five points off the top, four points off the automatic promotion places with 13 games to go.
Here is how the @SkyBetLeagueTwo table looks following Tuesday evening’s round of games.#LeagueTwo pic.twitter.com/GKIcciK6fd
— Bescot Banter (@BescotBanter) March 9, 2021
The Great Escape began with an away win at Crewe and then another at Morecambe. Can the Great Promotion Push get kick-started at Morecambe?
“It’s going to be a long eight weeks with all of the games to come. We almost need a finish like the Great Escape,” said Flynn.
“Staying up at that point was obviously the most important thing because we could have gone out of business if we’d been relegated. It’s strange, but promotion seems a lot more important because we have moved on so much since then.
“If we can get 22 points again in 12 games it would take us to 76 and that would surely put us close to it. That season was bizarre in many ways and this is a crazy season for a number of reasons.
“Anybody from 12th or even 13th upwards is in with a shout. Even top three is not beyond most of them and it only takes a good run of form like Harrogate, Bolton or Bradford have had to be right in the mix.
PRESS | Michael Flynn looks ahead to Morecambe https://t.co/kW29vNdeWp
— Newport County Chat (@Newport_County) March 12, 2021
Flynn is the first to admit his side will need to be on top of their game to make it a hat-trick of wins.
It took an 84th minute Mat Dolan penalty to win the game at home against Morecambe and they won’t want to lose any of their current momentum.
County will be hoping Ryan Haynes is over the groin strain that kept him out of the 2-1 win over Bradford at Cardiff City Stadium, while Kevin Ellison will be bursting to get some game time at his old stomping ground.