TWO goals from Padraig Amond and two late strikes from Scot Bennett and substitute Shawn McCoulsky secured a comprehensive 4-0 victory for Newport County AFC at Forest Green Rovers.

Manager Michael Flynn insisted that County are a bigger club than their near neighbours in the build-up to this match and they looked a cut above their hosts all afternoon.

The Exiles boss also said he felt his side were ready to give someone a hammering and they duly delivered at The New Lawn.

The three points lift County to sixth in the League Two table and they look real play-off contenders after 13 games of the campaign.

Flynn had reverted to the same starting XI that beat Yeovil Town 2-0 last weekend with Bennett retained in favour of the fit-again Mark O’Brien, who returned to the bench after injury.

And the manager was rewarded with a similarly dominant display from his supremely confident team.

The first goal arrived after 15 minutes and, just like the two against the Glovers last week, it came from a Matty Dolan corner.

The midfielder swung the ball in from the left and Bennett headed back across goal for Amond to nod in from close range.

Frank Nouble then saw a shot deflected into the side netting and Mickey Demetriou was denied by a spectacular save as his header from Ben Tozer’s cross was palmed away from the top corner.

But the Exiles got the second goal they deserved four minutes before the break after Demetriou pumped a long ball forward for Nouble.

The striker turned Mark Roberts and his shot across the face of goal was prodded home by Amond.

The Irish poacher had not previously scored away from home but his first-half brace took him to six goals since he arrived from Hartlepool United in August, one more than his strike partner Nouble.

It put County in complete control but there were two warning shots from the hosts before the break.

Newport-born Christian Doidge headed just wide before Joe Day was forced to claw away Dan Wishart’s cross from under his bar in first-half stoppage time.

The hosts made a double change at the break as Will Randall and Keanu Marsh-Brown replaced Luke James and Reece Brown.

But, while they stemmed the flow of County attacks, they rarely looked like getting back into the match.

Charlie Cooper and Marsh-Brown dragged shots wide from the edge of the area without troubling Day.

At the other end Amond missed a chance to complete his hat-trick as he headed wide from a corner and Dolan tried a curler with the outside of his foot without success.

Mark Cooper removed his son Charlie to bring on danger man Omar Bugiel midway through the second half and the hosts enjoyed more possession in the closing stages.

The Exiles were worrying the 815 travelling fans by sitting back and allowing the hosts to attack.

But there were few scares for Day and Flynn’s men wrapped up all three points 11 minutes from time as Bennett fired in at the far post from another Tozer long throw.

The fourth, on 86 minutes, merely rubbed salt into the wounds as sub McCoulsky beat Sam Russell with a bullet header from Dan Butler’s cross to complete the rout.

County: Day; Demetriou, Bennett, White; Butler, Tozer, Dolan, Pipe (O’Brien, 77); Labadie (Owen-Evans, 88); Nouble (McCoulsky, 81), Amond

Subs not used: Barnum-Bobb, Rigg, Reynolds, Quigley

Booked: Bennett, Labadie, White

Referee: Carl Boyeson

Attendance: 2,864 (815 County)

Argus star man: Amond