NEWPORT County AFC manager Michael Flynn insists he’s not concerned by his side’s lack of goals so far this season, but he is still looking to bring in another striker before the transfer deadline.

County’s impressive defensive record has caught the eye with three successive clean sheets in League Two, but they have scored just three goals in four league games so far and five in five in all competitions.

Last season’s top scorer Padraig Amond has netted two penalties but Jamille Matt is yet to get off the mark and summer signing Tristan Abrahams is the only striker to score from open play.

With centre-back Mickey Demetriou ruled out for up to 14 weeks, Flynn’s focus has been on recruiting another experienced defender this week.

And Ryan Inniss arrived on loan from Crystal Palace yesterday, but the Exiles boss still wants another striker before the September 2 deadline – if he can get young defenders Lazar Stojsavljevic and Marvel Ekpiteta out on loan.

“I’m working hard to try to get one or two out,” said Flynn.

“Sometimes there’s a little overlap, but the club have been supportive and they understand that.

“I suppose the extra money from the Carabao Cup has helped that.”

Asked about bringing in another striker, he said: “It depends how quickly I get one or two out, and what’s available.

“I’m not just going to bring one in for the sake of it.

“If it’s somebody we can get our hands on who I feel will add to the squad then, providing I get one or two out, it could happen.

“If not, it’s down to the boys who are here.

“We’ve got five strikers with Podge [Amond], Jamma [Matt], Tristan, Corey [Whitely] and Lewis Collins.

“I’m not going to take a gamble on a youngster [Collins] when I think I’ve got somebody who can kick on, but he’s got to show that day in and day out. And he’s only just come back from injury as well.”

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Questioned on the lack of goals, Flynn said: “I’m not concerned. We should have scored a few more against Mansfield but we conceded two sloppy goals [and drew 2-2].

“If we’d won that we would have been on eight points and nobody would be mentioning it.

“It’s not a concern to me. I know we’ll click; I know we’ll score goals.

“I’m just pleased we’re keeping them out because the two we conceded against Mansfield weren’t good enough and I think you can see how much the players have raised their levels from that dodgy 15 minutes.

“They say titles are won by a good defence,” he added.

“You’ve got to make sure you’re not conceding first of all.

“There’s been a couple of games where we haven’t been quite at it going forward, but the Walsall game the other night – I think last season if we went for it, we would have lost 1-0.

“And you’ve got to take that into consideration. I had a lot of players struggling and I had players doing extra work because some of them couldn’t sprint so, for me, it was an excellent result.”

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Amond, who hit 23 goals in all competitions last season, has been playing in a deeper midfield role over the last few games.

And Flynn insists he’s not afraid to drop the Irishman or Matt, who scored 20 last season.

“Podge has had to do a job for the team. It’s not ideal, If I’m totally honest,” he said.

“But Tristan has come in and looked lively. He’s given us a different element with his pace and his strength and if he’s doing better than the other two then he’ll play with one of the others, it’s as simple as that.

“I’m not going to make any rash decisions, but if he stakes his claim then he’s in and it’s up to the other one to get his shirt back.”

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