NEWPORT County AFC manager Michael Flynn hopes he’s juggled his resources well enough this week to ensure his side can continue their impressive start to the season.

Flynn made nine changes to his starting XI for Tuesday’s Checkatrade Trophy tie against Chelsea under-21s at Rodney Parade.

And the inexperienced Exiles side, which had an average age of 22, secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Chelsea’s talented teenagers thanks to two goals from Jamille Matt and one for substitute Antoine Semenyo.

The win means County top Group C of the competition’s southern section with three points and they bank £10,000 in prize money.

But Flynn’s priority was to give his team the best chance of earning another win in League Two on Saturday when Cambridge United are the visitors.

“I’ve got to try to weigh up the finances of the football club – what it means to get a win and what it means for Saturday,” he explained.

“It doesn’t always pay off. I could have played my strongest team and won but then if everyone had been tired we could have lost on Saturday.

“I haven’t got a crystal ball, I don’t know all the answers but I’m trying to do what’s right for the football club.

“It’s nice to get some money out of the competition but my focus now is Cambridge on Saturday.”

And Flynn insists he didn’t have many option in terms of his team selection on Tuesday with Andrew Crofts, Matty Dolan and Keanu Marsh-Brown injured and several other concerns.

“Antoine [Semenyo] was ill and that’s why he was on the bench,” said the boss.

“Jamma [Matt] needs games, Robbie [Willmott] is suspended for the next two [in League Two] so he had to play, Tyler Forbes wanted to carry on going, as did Mark O’Brien.

“Nick [Townsend] has started every cup game so far, Pringy [Cameron Pring] needs games, Mark Harris needs games, Coops [Charlie Cooper] as well, and [Josh] Sheehan missed Saturday.

“They need games because I’m going to need them for this season.

South Wales Argus:

“Tyreeq [Bakinson] has got a sore calf, Antoine is ill, Pipey [David Pipe] is ill and Mickey [Demetriou] is stiff from when him and Mark O’Brien ran into each other at Tranmere.

“So, although it was a so-called weakened team, I had no choice really. But the boys who came in did very well.

“Tyler Forbes was excellent and Robbie Willmott must have put eight or nine balls into the box, which were of the highest quality.

“Cameron Pring did well, Mark Harris looked sharp again, Antoine could have scored four when he came on and I’m pleased for Jamma [Matt] – he’s now the club’s top scorer rather than a centre-back!”

Flynn also gave academy graduates Jay Foulston and Lewis Collins the chance to impress.

“They won’t be used to that intensity and it was a learning curve for them,” he said.

“I took them both off because they haven’t played a great amount of football.”

Matt was forced off with an ankle knock late on but Flynn is hopeful that it is not too serious.

And he revealed that club captain Crofts, who is out with a sore Achilles tendon, is close to returning to training.

“It’s still not right but he’s not far away,” he said. “He’s big for us because he’s such an excellent captain around the changing room.

“He speaks to the younger players and the older ones as well because he’s played at the top and it’ll be good to have him back training with us soon.”