NEWPORT County AFC manager Michael Flynn believes the stunning team goal his players produced against Forest Green Rovers last weekend shows that they are enjoying expressing themselves on the pitch.

There were eight players involved, taking 35 touches and completing 15 passes before striker Padraig Amond fired into the bottom corner of Robert Sanchez’s net.

Amond finished off a similarly flowing move at Cambridge United in the Carabao Cup in August and Flynn is delighted that his players are showing what they are capable of.

“We’re getting the players to do what we’re asking but I’ve got to give them full credit because they’re the ones who have the confidence and the guts to go and do it in a match,” said the Exiles boss.

“We can practise all week like that in training but if they don’t go out and do it on a Saturday it makes the week a bit of a waste.

“They’re really going out and expressing themselves and I couldn’t be happier at the minute.”

The only thing that Flynn is not happy with right now is his team’s tendency to fall behind early on in games and that’s something he hopes to avoid in Saturday’s home clash with fifth-placed Stevenage.

“The comebacks are not great for me,” he said. “I’d much rather we take the lead and score a few more goals to make life easier for ourselves.

“But they’re all together. We’ve got a really tight group and that includes the staff.

“We win together and we lose together and at the minute they deserve all the praise they’re getting but it’s early days. Hopefully we carry it on.

“Nobody wants to start with an early goal against but it happens in football. We’re not the first team it’s happened to and we certainly won’t be the last.

“We’ve just got to keep concentrating, keep trying to improve and hopefully we’ll have a more straightforward game.”

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Robbie Willmott provided the final pass for Amond’s goal at Forest Green in his first League Two start of the season, following injury and suspension, and the manager is happy to have him available again.

“It’s good to have him on the pitch,” said Flynn.

“He gives us so much scope to change things during the game without making a substitution – he’s very versatile and he’s got a lot of quality.

“He’s a big player for us and I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t get double figures for assists this season.

“The suspension wasn’t ideal,” he added. “It was a time when we needed him because we had one or two out [injured] but it’s part and parcel of the game and thankfully I think we dealt with it quite well.”

Matty Dolan should also be available to face Stevenage after recovering from a knee problem. The midfielder was an unused substitute at The New Lawn last week.

“He’s back,” Flynn confirmed. “He was on the bench last week but it was too early to start him.

“We’ll see how the rest of the week goes but at the minute he’s in contention, which is good news.”

There was also good news this week for former County captain Joss Labadie who revealed that he has returned to training after his anterior cruciate ligament knee injury.

Labadie sustained the injury while training with the Exiles in March and, despite being offered a new deal, he confirmed his departure from the club in August.

“I’m delighted for him,” said Flynn. “He’s worked hard and we’ve kept in contact. He’s somebody I’ve got a lot of time for.”