JAMILLE Matt has made a habit of scoring against Newport County AFC in the past but now he’s determined to deliver the goals that fire the Exiles to promotion.

The Jamaican-born striker has been a thorn in County’s side since 2012 when he bagged a hat-trick against Justin Edinburgh’s men while he was at Kidderminster Harriers.

Matt also caught the eye against Graham Westley’s side in 2016 when he was playing for Blackpool, who he helped win promotion to League One.

And he netted against Michael Flynn’s men last season while he was on loan at Grimsby Town but now he’s looking forward to hearing County fans cheer his name rather than curse it.

“To be honest, I never really thought about it until I signed but a few people have said that to me,” said Matt.

“I’ve done well against them in the past but my focus now is to do well for County and if that means I’m scoring goals and the team is doing well then that’s a good thing.

“We’ve definitely got a good group here,” he added. “We’ve got different types of players that complement each other really well and it’s a tight-knit squad.

“There are some players I’ve played with before and I know their capabilities and a few I’ve played against so I know what they can do and if we can perform to our level we’ll be there or thereabouts.”

Matt is excited about the potential of his partnership with last season’s top scorer Padraig Amond.

“I’m definitely looking forward to playing with Padraig,” said the 28-year-old.

“I’ve played against him in the past so I know he’s a good player and hopefully we can complement each other really well.

“We’ve got Keanu [Marsh-Brown] and other attacking players who can contribute as well so hopefully we can work well together and score lots of goals.”

Matt got his first 45 minutes of action in a County shirt in yesterday’s behind-closed-doors friendly at Bristol City and, despite the heat, he’s enjoying pre-season training with Flynn and first team coach Wayne Hatswell.

“It’s been good,” he said. “There’s no better way to settle in than with pre-season. You just get chucked in and get the running done and do what you need to do to get your fitness up to scratch.

“The boys are looking fit and everyone’s attitude has been really good and spot on and we’re working towards the level of fitness that we want to reach.

“The weather has made pre-season even tougher than usual but everyone has just got on with it.

“It’s been mostly double sessions but in pre-season you know what’s coming and you get your head around that. It’s been really fun and enjoyable. We’re just trying to take in new ideas from the gaffer and Hats.

“Everyone is looking good. The boys are raring to go. We want to get some minutes in our legs as soon as possible and slowly build it up to the big kick-off.”