HE SCORED the goal that kept Newport County AFC in the Football League last May but Mark O’Brien reckons topping the table this weekend would be up there with that famous strike and the Great Escape as the best moment of his career.

The Exiles, second on goal difference behind leaders Lincoln City, could find themselves at the summit of League Two after Saturday's Rodney Parade clash with Yeovil Town (kick-off 3pm).

It was 16 months ago that Irishman O’Brien, who made his first start of the season away to Swindon Town in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday night, wrote his name into County folklore to ensure the club survived the drop.

His winner against Notts County sent Hartlepool United down and gave the Exiles the chance to build again following a couple of below-par campaigns.

“It would of course be great to be sitting at the top of the table,” he told iFollow Exiles.

“It would be up there with everything that has happened so far in my career.

“I’ve been lucky enough to go through some very good things in my career, but this would be up there with everything else.

“It’s an added bonus for the team.

“We know, as a team, what we’re capable of, we know if we get the results that our performances deserve then the league table will speak for itself.

“We’ve got a great bunch of lads in the changing room and everyone works hard for each other.

“We’ve kept to what we know, what we worked on throughout pre-season and, as you can see, we’re starting to see the benefits of that now.

“Every game is like a cup final in this league and we need to keep the momentum from the last few weeks going.

“It’s just onwards and upwards for us and it would be a massive boost for this group if we could get to the top of the league table come Saturday.”

The defender, meanwhile, is always happy to look back on that 89th-minute volley with great fondness.

“To be honest, if I can still live off that one goal which I’ve scored in my career then I’d be quite happy,” he added.

“But don’t get me wrong, I’d love to score goals, be on the scoresheet, but as well as that my job for this team is mainly to try to keep goals out.

“If I can add to the goal tally by scoring from set-pieces then I would be more than happy to do that.

“If I did score the winner to potentially send us top of the table I don’t think it would be as mad as before.

“It would probably be the exact same celebration because I definitely haven’t got any celebrations lined up.

“It took me 10 years to score that one goal so if I got another it would just be whatever the moment is and see where it takes me.”