TWO-GOAL hero Matty Dolan says he and his fellow Newport County AFC midfielders need to keep scoring to ease the pressure on the Exiles strikers.

Dolan’s double against Carlisle United on Saturday, added to Joss Labadie’s brace against Cambridge United last week and Ben Tozer’s winner at Swindon Town the week before means midfielders have scored five of the last six for County.

But their overall tally is just 10 so far this season, with strikers Shawn McCoulsky, Frank Nouble, Padraig Amond and Lamar Reynolds netting 23 of the team’s 39 goals in 28 games and defenders claiming six.

And Dolan says the whole team have to share the goal scoring burden.

“Hopefully I can keep this goal-scoring run going,” he said after two stunning free-kicks against Carlisle took his personal tally to three so far this season.

“Us midfielders can’t put too much pressure on the strikers to score all the goals.

“We have to chip in everywhere across the pitch.”

South Wales Argus:

Dolan is sure to be on free-kick duties once again at Cambridge this weekend but he revealed that captain Labadie wanted to take the first one he bent inside the post on Saturday.

“I had one free-kick at Swindon that stuck in my head because I hit the shin of one of the players in the wall,” said the 24-year-old.

“I was frustrated with that and the skipper said to me ‘I’m taking this one’ but I had faith in myself when I stepped up because I’ve scored them in the past.

“I thought the keeper would have read the second one but it flew in the top corner which I was happy with.

“The second one was further out, but I fancy myself and I stuck it in the top corner.

“I practice them all the time,” he added.

“The gaffer was very complimentary of my set-pieces when I came into the club so I back myself on any dead ball.

“We’ve got quality all over the pitch, we showed that with our passing, but we have scored a lot of goals from corners this year – Robbie [Willmott] has got fantastic delivery both sides as well.

“And I know in and around the box I’ll always be there or thereabouts and I’ll make the keeper make a save. Thankfully he couldn’t get near them.”

South Wales Argus:

Michael Flynn’s men were frustrated to have to settle for a point after Saturday’s 3-3 draw at Rodney Parade and Dolan is targeting all three at Cambridge.

“Being disappointed with a point just shows how far we’ve come and how highly we think of ourselves,” he said.

“We’ve got a big game against Cambridge now and hopefully we can pick up three points there to carry on this momentum.

“Carlisle are a good team, but we’ve picked up two wins and a draw recently so if we get three points on the road we will make sure it’s been a good few weeks.”

He also hopes to reward the home fans with a win against Lincoln City on December 23.

“It was freezing [on Saturday] and they showed up in their numbers,” he said.

“We need to put on a show, but they don’t care if we play terrible and win 1-0.

“They will have enjoyed that game but hopefully we can get three points in front of them next time.”