JAMIE Devitt’s capacity for stunning strikes like the one that sent Newport County AFC into the FA Cup second round was exactly why boss Michael Flynn wanted him at Rodney Parade.

The 30-year-old Irishman’s 77th-minute thunderbolt against Leyton Orient on Saturday sealed a 2-1 victory in London and put the League Two leaders in the hat for Monday night’s draw.

Flynn hailed his side’s performance and Devitt’s individual display, and also admitted he would be making “a lot of changes” for Tuesday night’s EFL Trophy tie away to Plymouth Argyle (7pm).

“I thought we were excellent from start to finish,” said Flynn following the defeat of the O’s, a game in which Ash Baker gave County the lead with his first goal for the club.

“It was an unbelievable away performance against a team who’ve been in good form and can cause anyone problems on their day.

“We were exceptional. I thought we were by far the better team. It’s been a long day and to go and put in that performance is unbelievable.”

Commenting on Devitt, who is loan from Blackpool until January, Flynn added: “It was a fantastic goal.

"He had a great first touch and put it in the top corner. That’s why I wanted him here.

“I know what he can do, he scores goals out of nothing, and I thought he was superb today.

“That’s the longest he has played in over a year and he was very, very good.”

Devitt opened his Exiles account in the 3-2 loss to Carlisle United four days earlier.

Flynn said: “I would say he had a bad Tuesday because he’s the type of lad who would rather anybody score and us win than him score and us lose.

“He’s a great lad as well. He’s scored two goals in a week but today will mean everything because he got the winner.”

With no sign of fans being allowed back into grounds, a decent run in a competition such as the FA Cup would do wonders for County’s finances.

The Exiles have become knockout specialists in recent years, with a handful of big paydays of vital importance to the running of the club.

“The most important thing for me is the finances,” said Flynn.

“If I’m totally honest, is it (the cup) a priority? No, the league is. Would I rather three points? Yes, I would.

“But I’ll never ever disrespect the cup because I love the cup, and I know what it means to this club.

“We had to go as strong as we could. We’ve got eight players missing, seven injured and one unavailable.

“We’ve got Plymouth on Tuesday and then 10 days without a game, and I’m hoping to have four or five back by then.

“There’ll be a lot of changes for Plymouth. The only thing I’ve got to make sure I do is not get a fine for breaching the selection rules.”