BOSS Michael Flynn heaped praise on Padraig Amond after the striker ended Newport County AFC’s goal drought with the all-important winner against Cheltenham Town on Tuesday night.

Irishman Amond, a summer signing from Hartlepool United, netted for the second time in Exiles colours as the Rodney Parade outfit ground out a 1-0 victory to go sixth in League Two.

Flynn admitted it wasn’t a vintage County display but reckoned the hosts merited the three points, and he felt Amond fully deserved his 35th-minute goal.

“It was nice to score, we hadn’t scored in three, and I thought Padraig Amond deserved his goal because his work rate and unselfish play is unbelievable,” said Flynn.

“You don’t always see it when strikers do that but he worked his socks off.

“You could see in the last couple of minutes he was still running into the corners.

“He deserved his goal but it was a solid team performance.”

Amond missed several chances in the 0-0 draw with Wycombe on Saturday before coming good on Tuesday, but Flynn said that is only natural for centre-forwards.

“You tell me a striker who always takes every chance, because if he did he wouldn’t be here,” he continued.

“Every striker misses chances and I will never get on his back because he was in the right place.

“Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t, and I guarantee you he scores a lot more than he misses.”

And on the performance in general, he added: “It was a very hard-fought victory and another clean sheet, and when you’re not at your best and you win a match it’s a very good sign.

“Cheltenham will feel unlucky but I thought we created quite a lot chances, and we kept a clean sheet against probably the best Cheltenham team I’ve seen in the league.

“I think it was a fair result and the boys battled really well.

“It wasn’t our usual free-flowing football, the conditions were tough, but the boys adapted to them very well.

“We had a slow start. I’m not going to say we were perfect, but I think we finished the game stronger.

“Joe (Day) made a save at the end but I can’t think of anything else he had to do in the second half.

“It was a pleasing three points because we weren’t at our best and we managed to win.

“It wasn’t an awesome performance and it wasn’t a terrible performance, it was a solid performance.

“Those players put in a great shift and we kept another clean sheet so I’m very happy about that.”

Before Tuesday night, County had failed to score against Forest Green in the Checkatrade Trophy and Exeter City and Wycombe Wanderers in successive League Two fixtures.