MITCH Rose helped Newport County AFC beat the drop in 2017 and he’s aiming for another Great Escape with Notts County this season.
The last three games have seen the Magpies draw with leaders Lincoln City and record back-to-back wins over promotion-chasing Forest Green Rovers and Mansfield Town to move within two points of safety.
Tonight is their game in hand over 22nd-placed Yeovil Town and they know that a win over the Exiles at Meadow Lane will take them out of the League Two relegation zone.
“This turnaround isn’t a shock,” said Rose, who joined Notts from Grimsby Town last month.
“The group is excellent but, for whatever reason, the results weren’t great so the manager has added reinforcements.
“When I came in, I was taken aback by the quality of the first few training sessions and if this squad was together from the start of the season, we could have really pushed for something, so I’m not surprised we’ve done so well against Lincoln, Forest Green and Mansfield.
“It’s now a case of continuing the momentum. The game with Newport is going to be the toughest of all because now we’re expected to win and we need to cope with the pressure of that.”
The 24-year-old made 12 appearances in central midfield for the Exiles in 2017 but is currently filling in as a makeshift right-back.
He claimed that a bottle was thrown at him on Saturday by a fan of Mansfield, another of his former clubs, but he’s not expecting the same hostility tonight.
“Their fans were giving me a little bit of stick as you would expect in a local derby and you are playing against your former club,” he told the Nottingham Post.
“I responded by shushing them to get the ball and a bottle has come flying past my head.
“It was nothing to really worry about, but the referee has reported it and I’ll leave that to him.
“You relish games like Saturday’s.
"They are the moments you work hard for throughout the week so that you’re able to savour and enjoy them with your team-mates and family.”
Read more: Exiles loan star Regan Poole reflects on Man City cup clash
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