Michael Flynn insists he will leave no stone unturned when trying to guide Newport County AFC into the Third Round of the Emirates FA Cup for the fourth time in five seasons at Maldon & Tiptree FC tomorrow.
The Exiles have become renowned for their extensive dossiers on the opposition and the eighth tier side are no different – assistant manager Wayne Hatswell has been down to watch them in action and Flynn has also been tapping into the knowledge of new Cardiff City manager Neil Harris, who played for the Jammers when they were called Maldon Town.
Flynn has been on the wrong side of an Emirates FA Cup upset before – being sent off in Gillingham’s defeat to Burscough in 2005 – and while not playing on the night, Flynn was a County player when Yate Town defeated them in 2012.
Flynn has made no secret how ‘special’ the competition is to him and he knows the financial benefits of victory at the Wallace Binder Ground tomorrow night.
He affirmed: “Maldon & Tiptree had a very good result against Leyton Orient. It’s a home tie for Maldon and they [the BBC cameras] can maybe sense an upset.
“It’s the FA Cup, those upsets can happen, but it won’t be happening tomorrow if we’re at it. The players are very focused, and they know what to expect. I’ve got full confidence in my players and I also respect Maldon a lot because the result against Leyton Orient was well deserved.
“As a player, I always had the mindset of not thinking I was any better than who I was playing against, whether that be higher level or lower level. I always wanted to play the best I could because I wanted to do that every game.
“My players have prepared very well and hopefully we’ll see that’s the case tomorrow.
“It’s going to be hostile but it’s a game I’d love to be playing in. It’ll be a great atmosphere because they’ll be up for it, a proper FA Cup game. I know what to expect. I’ve been in the game long enough, so I know it’s going to be an old blood and guts FA Cup tie.”