NEWPORT County AFC manager Michael Flynn got a few things off his chest on Saturday – not as much as Jamie Carragher but enough to vent some frustrations.

Speaking after the 2-0 win at Yeovil Town, County’s first victory since January 19, Flynn took the opportunity to respond to some fans who he feels “look on the negative side of things.”

The Exiles boss bristled at talk of the winless run, insisting that online critics should instead focus on the progress that the club has made during his 12 months in charge.

“Everybody tends to look on the negative side of things,” said Flynn at Huish Park.

“Let’s look where we were this time last season, let’s look how far this club has come on.

“Winless run? I think it’s a mark of how much we’ve overachieved and set the standard.

“Apparently we’re just taking it easy until the end of the season,” he continued. “That will never happen while I’m here.

“Last season we were 11 points from safety with 12 games to play, this season we were eight points off the play-offs with 11 games left.

“We’ve only been beaten three times in 25 games at home since I’ve been here and there’s a lot to look forward to.”

Saturday’s win means County are now just five points off the top seven and, with seven of their final 10 games at Rodney Parade, the play-offs remain a realistic target.

Flynn has every right to challenge those that aim criticism in his direction and his appeal for some perspective is one that I wholeheartedly support – a point made in this column last week.

In an ideal world, football managers would rise above barbs from fans and laugh off what they perceive to be negative media coverage.

But football managers are human and criticism is hard to ignore when you believe it to be unjust and you have total confidence in the job that you and your staff are doing.

Flynn often jokes that I like to report ‘doom and gloom’ news stories about the club but, while I won’t shy away from criticising the manager and team if I feel it’s justified, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Just like all those inside the club and each and every one of the true supporters, I want the very best for County.

In his first year in charge Flynn has proved that he’s the right man to steer his hometown club in the right direction.

And he’s received plenty of plaudits for the incredible job he’s done since replacing Graham Westley in March 2017 with the Exiles’ staring down the barrel of relegation to the National League.

After completing the Great Escape last season and transforming the club from relegation-battlers to play-off contenders, Flynn was nominated for the coach of the year prize at the 2017 Wales Sport Awards.

He lost out to fellow Newport star Christian Malcolm on that occasion but the Exiles boss was the proud recipient of a 'Spirit of Newport' award from Newport City Council last month.

And this week his achievements will be recognised at the inaugural South Wales Argus Sports Awards.

Flynn is up against Dragons captain and Wales rugby star Cory Hill and IBF world featherweight champion Lee Selby, trained by Tony Borg at St Joseph’s Boxing Club in Newport, in the Professional Sports Personality of the Year category.

The winners will be announced in a star-studded ceremony at the Celtic Manor tomorrow night, when the results of the online vote for County player of the year will also be revealed.

South Wales Argus:

I don’t think I’m giving too much away if I tell you that Frank Nouble did not make the top three.

The striker has been on the receiving end of a lot of stick in recent weeks after failing to maintain his excellent start to the campaign.

There was even some cheering from a minority of the travelling fans when he was substituted at Port Vale recently and the news that he would not feature against Forest Green Rovers last week was warmly received by his critics on social media.

It was pleasing then to see Nouble, whose partner Gemma gave birth to a second daughter on Sunday, prove a point of his own on Saturday.

He showed that he still has something to offer the team with an impressive substitute’s performance at Huish Park, laying on the second goal for Paul Hayes.

Congratulations to Nouble for that and on the new arrival and long may he and the manager continue to prove the doubters wrong.