Scot Bennett: Newport County can be League Two contenders

The Exiles have had to rebuild after suffered a controversial and painful defeat to Morecambe in last season's League Two play-off final at Wembley.

Michael Flynn has made 13 signings while influential figures Josh Sheehan, Joss Labadie, Liam Shephard and Padraig Amond led the list of departures.

County started the season with 1-0 wins against Oldham Athletic and Ipswich Town but came a cropper at Mansfield last weekend.

Without captain Matty Dolan and vice-captain Mickey Demetriou, the starting line-up featured seven players signed this summer.

Bennett knows it will take time to gel after such dramatic change but is confident of another push for League One.

Scot Bennett and Ed Upson put the pressure on in Mansfield

"It's definitely challenging. We're a work in progress and there are a lot of new faces in the building," said the 30-year-old, who has made over 200 appearances for the club.

"Once we nail down a few key areas of the pitch and the jobs which are required of the new lads, then I think we'll be fine and there or thereabouts.

"There is a lot of quality. Some of the football we played at Mansfield was good, we opened them up a few times, but it was just the two goals we gave away.

"It was frustration overall. I thought we were the better side overall but it's not good enough with the two goals we gave away.

"We know that. Especially with the second one – it was too open. I've got to do better with the header myself, but just to let them run through on goal is not good enough at this level."

County were meant to be in action against Northampton last night but the fixture was postponed because of the summer work on the Rodney Parade pitch.

After trips to Boundary Park, Portman Road and Field Mill, it was a timely break ahead of a schedule that sees Flynn's men travel to Tranmere and Salford either side of a home cup tie with Premier League Southampton.

Bennett is relishing a week on the training ground rather than match action.

New boys Cameron Norman, Finn Aziz and Timmy Abraham celebrate with Robbie Willmott (left)

"It's definitely a positive to have a full week off. It gives the new guys more time to get used to it here and the way that we want to play," he said.

"We've had a lot of miles so far, so a week off is a chance to work on a few things. We can work on a few things."

The absences of Dolan and Demetriou allowed Bennett to move to his favoured position at the heart of a three-man defence after being in midfield at Oldham.

"I always enjoy it back in defence," said the utility man. "I've said throughout my career I prefer to play there but if I'm needed in midfield I'm happy to fill in."

"They're two massive players for us, especially Mickey. He's one of the only left-sided players we've got but James Clarke did really well in there," he continued.

"Mickey's not missed many games since he's been here and he was disappointed, but I think we have to be clever at this stage of the season. It's a niggle but we didn't want to turn it into anything extra."

Flynn will hope to have Dolan and Demetriou as options at Prenton Park while midfielder Kevin Ellison and forwards Jermaine Hylton and Courtney Baker-Richardson were also absent through injury.