NEWPORT County AFC manager Michael Flynn hit back at critics on social media and appealed for fans to support the team through thick and thin after Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Scunthorpe United.

Goals from substitute Jamille Matt and top scorer Padraig Amond in the final 18 minutes saw County overturn a 1-0 deficit and end their 10-game winless streak in League Two.

Flynn admitted it was a relief to end the wretched run and he was quick to defend his players following what he sees as unfair criticism from a vocal minority of fans.

“It is a relief,” said the Exiles boss. “It’s a relief for those players because they work their socks off.

“People are questioning them. One game – at Exeter – a fan came up to me and said the players weren’t working hard enough.

“That’s the last thing you could say. Yes, they weren’t good enough that day. But don’t just say things for the sake of it, try being constructive.

“It falls on deaf ears. I’m hardened to it. It doesn’t bother me,” he added.

“We’re a team and we stick together through thick and thin, whether it’s going good or bad. We celebrate together and we work hard together. That’s what we do and it’s a shame that there’s a small minority who don’t feel that.

South Wales Argus:

“It’s not a lot of people. It’s usually the same 100 who I really can’t be bothered to even think about.

“They don’t realise what we go through. A lot of them don’t even watch the games.

“It’s easy to write something on social media and I don’t take much notice of that.

“There’s a good group of core fans at this football club and they realised the importance of getting behind your team when things aren’t going great.

“And, you know what, if everybody at the football club did that, it would be a lot better place and a lot less negativity on the social media pages, where, like I said, it’s the same 100 people.”

County are up to 11th in the table and are now 11 points behind seventh-placed Forest Green Rovers with three games in hand.

Asked if the win was a turning point for his side, Flynn said: “I hope it is. Before this game we were six points behind where we were last season having played two fewer games and last season we ended up in the play-off final, so it’s not all doom and gloom.

“Expectations have been raised and it’s not very good when you don’t win in 10 games in the league.

“But, let’s not forget that in that period we’ve got through in the cups and provided some good income for the club and we’ve done it with a very small pool of players to pick from.

“I always want to win, you always need a victory,” he added.

“I’m not getting carried away; we’ve won a game of football and it was a good way to win it.

“But we knew it was coming because we should have won a couple previously.”

Read more: Newport County boss hails 'outstanding' second-half display at Scunthorpe United