MANAGER Michael Flynn lamented Newport County AFC’s lack of a killer instinct after letting victory slip through their fingers against Morecambe.

The Exiles looked set to take the spoils from the League Two encounter at Rodney Parade thanks to Padraig Amond’s headed finish inside a minute.

However, a defensive slip by Tyler Forbes allowed veteran Kevin Ellison to level for the Shrimps after 77 minutes and deny the hosts.

County gained a point to go level with third-placed Exeter after their home loss to Forest Green, but Flynn felt it should have been more.

"It's two points dropped, let's not dress it up,” said the manager. "We should have been out of sight but then a little bit of sloppiness allows Kev to get his annual goal against us.

"It's frustrating because we missed too many chances. We should have buried them and there's only one team who should have won that.

“Morecambe are a strong group, they are resilient and made the most of an error.

“I thought that we played quite well without finishing our chances or killing them off, so it’s frustrating. It was a great start but it means nothing when you concede a goal like we did.

“It’s a frustrating day at the office because I thought that we played quite well. It was relentless but we didn’t finish them off and we had to get that second goal.

“As soon as we scored, I know it was early in the game, the first thing I said to the bench was that we needed a second goal because that would kill them off, but we didn’t get it.

“It’s another point on the board and Exeter and Lincoln lost and MK Dons drew, so it’s a point gained. The frustrating thing is that we didn’t have those extra two points.

“We have to take it on the chin and we go again and try to get a result in Carlisle next week.”

The slip by Forbes was costly but Flynn said there was collective responsibility for the failure to get the three points.

He said: “I am not going to single him out in the Press – we missed too many chances. He made a mistake, he knows what he has done, but we are all in this together.

“If the strikers had finished them off then we wouldn’t be talking about it. I am not going to go too deep on him.”

County were forced into changes when Scot Bennett limping off after 20 minutes and Mark O’Brien forced off at half-time.

“Injuries are killing us,” said Flynn, who was forced to name himself on the bench for the previous Saturday’s loss at Crawley. “I am having to make subs when I don’t want to, it’s not good.

“I’ve got to make sure that I’ve got enough players to go to Carlisle. We’ve got to get them right and hopefully have one or two back.

County are stretched by injury but won’t rush back talisman Joss Labadie, who re-signed for the club last week and is on the comeback trail from ruptured knee ligaments.

“I am not going to put a time on it, we’ve just got to make sure he comes through everything,” said Flynn. “He has done so far and is on the right road, but we can’t rush him.

“It will be big for us when he is back, especially at the minute when we have got so many injuries. Surely our luck has got to change on that.”