NEWPORT County AFC caretaker manager Wayne Hatswell is sure that Derek Adams will be given a lively Rodney Parade welcome by the Amber Army on Saturday afternoon.
The Exiles are hunting successive League Two victories for the first this season when they entertain Bradford City after last weekend’s 3-0 win against Scunthorpe.
The Bantams started the season as favourites for promotion after appointing Adams as their boss, the Scot opting to stay in the fourth tier despite guiding Morecambe to League One.
Adams infuriated the Exiles, who felt he was graceless in victory when the sides met at Wembley, and he will have to run the gauntlet of the terrace on the Rodney Road side of the ground in front of County’s most vocal supporters.
"All I will say is that it will be a case of 'welcome to Newport'," said Hatswell, who is holding the reins after last week’s departure of manager Michael Flynn.
"We will treat it as any other game but I just want the fans to get behind everyone, as I know they always do.
"Maybe this week has more of an edge to it because he beat us in the play-off final but he was at a different club and has a different team to look after an a different way of doing it.
"We will make life difficult for him hopefully after a week to prepare. It would be nice to get back-to-back wins."
Adams, who had to take Kevin Ellison’s fiery celebration on the chin when the teams met in Morecambe, said after the play-off final that he had "no sympathy" for Flynn's men following the two contentious calls at Wembley.
Referee Bobby Madley decided not to award the Exiles a first-half spot-kick after Shrimps keeper Kyle Letheren punched Scot Bennett in the head when trying to clear the ball.
The official then gave Morecambe a penalty in the second half of extra-time when John O'Sullivan went down after minimal contact with Ryan Haynes outside the box.
Carlos Mendes Gomes converted to send Morecambe into League One for the first time in their history.
"Three times this season they've had three of our players sent-off," claimed Adams when speaking to Quest, despite the fact only two Morecambe players were shown red cards in games against Newport, both of which were won by the Exiles.
"Sometimes in life you get your comeuppance, and today was that, I'm afraid."
The comments led to County goalkeeping coach Jim Hollman saying he had been fired up for another promotion bid.
I’d like to thank Derek Adam’s! Just when I think I hate football and iv had enough something happens to relight the fire and draws me back! Usually not as soon as this but after seeing this interview from the charismatic Derek I want next season to start tomorrow!! pic.twitter.com/j8XvsCu5tw
— ProDeflect_Goalkeeping (@prodeflect) June 2, 2021
County did the double over Bradford last season, hammering them 3-0 at Valley Parade in October in arguably their best performance of the campaign before a dramatic finale at Cardiff City Stadium in March.
Matty Dolan curled in a wonderful free-kick to equalise after 77 minutes and then held his nerve from the penalty spot deep into added time.
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