MATCH-WINNER Jamie Turley is loving life in League Two after Newport County AFC finally provided him with a get-out-of-jail-free card this summer.

Turley, who scored the only goal as County won 1-0 at Leyton Orient on Saturday, spent seven years in non-league football after being released by Wycombe Wanderers aged 19.

And, although he has fond memories of his time at Salisbury City, Forest Green Rovers and Eastleigh, Turley says leaving the Conference behind is like escaping from prison.

“At the top end of the Conference there are some good sides who don’t want to be there,” said the 26-year-old defender, who signed a two-year deal at Rodney Parade in July.

“They’re putting the money in and they shouldn’t be Conference clubs but it’s hard to get out of – it’s a prison sentence that league.

“It’s great to come to grounds like this [Leyton Orient]. It’s easy to get up for it and there are no excuses here.”

Turley is relishing another trip to one of the division’s big clubs tonight as County prepare to take on early season pacesetters Luton Town.

And he insists the team will be full of confidence at Kenilworth Road after victory at Brisbane Road.

“It’s a massive boost,” said Turley. “It was important that we got points on the board because the effort that the lads have put in, and the gaffer as well, we deserved more out of the last few games.

“On paper it was one of the toughest games. They’ve got some good players but we know that if we’re at it we can match any team and more because we’ve got quality throughout the team.

“It makes Luton even more exciting now and there’s no fear at all – they’re not super-humans are they.”

Turley was moved from centre-back to right-back on Saturday and, after the team conceded six goals in the first two games of the season, he was pleased to help shut out promotion hopefuls Orient.

“It’s been a couple of years since I played at right-back but I just wanted to be on the pitch and the gaffer knows I will put a shift in for him,” he said.

“The clean sheet was important because the players we’ve got here – there is quality there.

“It has taken a bit of time for us to gel but we’re working hard for each other.

“The goals that we have conceded have been avoidable but we dug in and that is the benchmark now.”

And Turley is hoping to add more goals at the other end of the pitch after missing several chances against MK Dons in the EFL Cup last week.

“I always feel like I’m a threat,” he said. “I’ll be aiming for five goals this season.

“I should have had a couple on Tuesday and I got a bit of stick but thankfully I made up for it.”