CARETAKER manager Michael Flynn argues that his players are the ones who deserve all the credit for taking Newport County AFC to the brink of safety in League Two.

Flynn has taken plenty of plaudits for inspiring a run of six wins in 10 games since replacing Graham Westley.

The Exiles were 11 points from safety when Westley was sacked on March 9 but are now 22nd in the table, two points above Hartlepool United with two games left to play.

Victory tomorrow at Carlisle United would be enough to keep County up if Hartlepool fail to win at Cheltenham Town, who are two points above Flynn’s men in 21st.

And, ahead of the long trip to Brunton Park, the manager was keen to praise the efforts of his players.

“They’re a great group,” he said. “They’ve worked their socks off and they’ve bought into what we’ve been trying to do so all the credit goes to them.

“If they’d downed tools and felt sorry for themselves we would have already been relegated so they deserve all the credit.

“We can prepare them and set the team up but after they cross that white line they’ve got to make their own decisions as well and thankfully they’ve got most of them right.”

County are within touching distance of pulling off the Great Escape but Flynn is adamant that there will be no complacency from his side.

“I said I wanted to be in with a shout when it came to the last game of the season and to be where we are now is a fantastic effort but we’ve got to finish the job now,” he said.

“We definitely won’t be taking our foot off the gas and thinking it’s done because we know Hartlepool and Cheltenham will be fighting for their lives.

“There definitely won’t be any complacency from the players, myself or the staff.

“We’ve just clawed back 11 points and two points clear with two games to go is very doable but there’s no celebration from us yet.

“If we’re safe this weekend then there will be one but otherwise we’re going to the last game of the season.

“I’ll make sure there’s no premature celebrations here.

“The boys have been fantastic this week, really focused and the work ethic has been as good as it has all along,” he added.

“There was no complacency there and there will definitely be none on the way to Carlisle.”

Flynn says he always believed he could keep his hometown club in the Football League.

“I believed we could do it and if I didn’t the players would have seen straight through me,” he said.

“I believed we could do it. I knew it was going to be hard.

“Did I think we’d be two points clear going into the last two games? Maybe not.

“I knew we could take it to the last game but hopefully we can do it a week early.”