TOP scorer Shawn McCoulsky insists he’s happy to be a super-sub as long as he keeps getting goals for Newport County AFC.

The striker hit his seventh of the season to earn County a 1-1 draw at home to Mansfield Town on Saturday.

It was the third game in a row in which McCoulsky had scored as a second-half substitute.

And manager Michael Flynn says the 20-year-old, who has started just one league match since his loan move from Bristol City in August, could force his way into the side to take on Notts County this coming weekend.

But McCoulsky says he’s content to make an impact from the bench if it’s in the team’s best interests.

“As long as I’m scoring my goals, as a striker, it doesn’t matter if I’m not starting,” he said.

“As long as I’m impacting the game off the bench I’m not really bothered if he’s going to start me or put me on the bench.

“As long as the team is winning and we are picking up points then I just have to keep doing what I’m doing, but hopefully I do get that start.

“I’ve just got to keep contributing to the team and keep getting results.”

McCoulsky says watching matches from the sidelines helps him affect the game.

“When you’re on the bench you see more so you know what to do when you come on,” he said.

“I just try to impact the game as much as possible and try to keep on the move in the box and that’s how I got my goal.

“I think I had a header that I missed as well and I had another one that OB [Mark O’Brien] knocked down but I’m delighted to get on the scoresheet and get a point for us.”

South Wales Argus:

McCoulsky’s seventh goal means he has one more than Padraig Amond and he’s two ahead of Frank Nouble but he says there’s no rivalry with his fellow strikers.

“There’s not really," he said.

"It’s good for the team; all the strikers are scoring and as long as we’ve got goals in the team that’s all we need to keep going forward and winning games.”

And, with Flynn keen to extend McCoulsky’s loan beyond January, the youngster is delighted with his time at Rodney Parade so far.

“It’s gone brilliant from the start,” he said. “The boys have made me feel at home, training is good and on match days I’m scoring so it can’t get better.

“We’ve had a way better start than we had last season. We’ve just got to keep pushing and keep grinding out points from these games.

“Every game is a test for us,” he added. “You can never predict what’s going to happen in League Two but we go in to every game in a positive frame of mind and looking to take points.”

The Exiles, currently sixth, are keen to put in a better display at second-placed Notts County than they did in defeat at current leaders Luton Town last month.

"Luton were top class," said McCoulsky. "They took their chances well and hopefully we can do that against another top-three team."