NEWPORT County AFC manager Michael Flynn felt his side did enough to claim all three points at Cheltenham Town.

The Exiles boss was frustrated to return home with a draw after Padraig Amond’s superb opening goal was cancelled out by Mo Eisa for the hosts 13 minutes from time.

The draw, four days after a disappointing Boxing Day defeat at Wycombe Wanderers, leaves County in 11th place at the end of 2017 – four points below the League Two play-off places.

“I thought we were unlucky not to win – we created enough chances,” said the manager.

“We had so many opportunities and we need to take them. We need to be ruthless and kill teams off.

“Their goalkeeper was voted man of the match and that says everything.

“I thought we were the better team but, fair play to Cheltenham, after we scored they came back and made it difficult.

“I’m frustrated that we haven’t won but I’m pleased with the way the boys bounced back after Boxing Day.”

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Flynn heaped praise on Amond and Ben White, who played the ball forward for the striker to loop a header over Cheltenham goalkeeper Scott Flinders.

“It was a Premier League pass,” he said. “It was unbelievable and from the moment he hit it I knew exactly what he was trying to do.

“And I don’t think anyone else but Podge would have scored that goal. It was an unbelievable header and it was a great goal all round.

“It’s just frustrating that we didn’t kill them off because we had a few chances to do that.”

Flynn admitted that he would have been tempted to bring himself on to help out his depleted team in the closing stages if he had been names amongst the substitutes.

Both Mark O’Brien and Joss Labadie were banned, while several members of the squad have gone down with a sickness bug this week.

“I don’t like making excuses but the facts are we had two of our influential players suspended,” added Flynn.

“Ben Tozer was ill, Matty Dolan was ill, Sean Rigg is injured – we had six on the bench and two of them were kids.

“We wanted to change it at the end because I thought it was a little bit open in the midfield and I wanted to shut that up and we couldn’t do it.

“I wasn’t on the bench but I honestly would have been tempted to do it [bring himself on] because of the way it was going.

“I would have just sat in there and headed and kicked it.”