NEWPORT County AFC will be up against a supremely confident side with the firepower to win any match when they take on Maldon and Tiptree in the FA Cup second-round on Friday night.

Saturday saw Maldon lose a match for the first time this season – in their 25th game of the campaign – as they went down 4-3 at Enfield Town to bow out of the FA Trophy.

But the Jammers are second in the Isthmian League North Division having won eight and drawn one of their nine games so far.

And manager Wayne Brown has masterminded 22 wins in 25 games in all competitions since August.

His side have scored an incredible 95 goals in those games and conceded just 26.

Strikers Jorome Slew, Charlee Hughes and Danny Parish have hit 64 between them with 24, 22 and 18 respectively.

On their first-ever appearance in the FA Cup first-round earlier this month, Brown’s men caused one of the famous old competition’s greatest-ever upsets by winning 2-1 at League Two Leyton Orient.

There were 77 league places between the two, but Maldon’s players rose to the challenge with goals from Parish and Slew securing an unbelievable victory.

And it was one that made their manager extremely proud.

South Wales Argus:

Brown played for Ipswich Town, Watford, Colchester United, Hull City and Leicester City amongst others in a 14-year playing career, but beating the O’s tops the lot.

“It was definitely my best time in football as a manager,” he said.

“It’s my second season in the first-team environment so, as a manager and a coach, it’s definitely the best.

“As a player, I played at Wembley and so on, and that’s hard to top, but this is totally different.

“You’re on the sideline and there’s only so much you can do.

“We only have the lads twice a week and you don’t want to fill the lads’ heads too much and make it a bit cloudy.

“But we went to Leyton Orient looking to focus on us.

“We have done particularly well in the league and cups this year and we knew if we concentrated on us then we could get something.”

Brown feels there is a special mentality within his squad that showed against Orient.

He added: “It is remarkable but it’s been done by taking it one game at a time; making sure that we are prepared mentally and physically.

“I think the lads are showing they have a good mentality.

“A mentality that they don’t want to lose football matches.

“Taking that into every game, whether that be league, FA Cup or FA Trophy, they have to have the right mentality in every game.”

County boss Michael Flynn has been preparing for this tie since the draw was made and he knows his side will also have to show the right attitude.

“Wayne [Hatswell] went to watch them last Saturday [a 1-1 home draw to Histon],” said the Exiles boss.

“It’s a very tight ground and it’s going to be overtaken with TV cameras. It’s going to be a classic FA Cup tie and it will be very difficult.

“They’ve already caused an upset by beating Leyton Orient so we know they’re a very capable team and we’ll have to be at our best.”

Read more: Newport County boss prepared for FA Cup battle at Maldon & Tiptree