Kion Etete was delighted to play his part as Newport County booked their place in the next round of the Emirates FA Cup with an impressive 3-1 victory over Walsall at Rodney Parade.
The forward found the net twice to help the Exiles recover from an early setback, extending their positive home form and keeping their hopes of another memorable cup run alive.
Despite falling behind, Kion explained how the squad remained confident in their ability to get back into the contest, drawing on their strong performances at Rodney Parade.
“We know we can score goals here, we know we can get back in the game. I think it was just getting behind everyone, not letting it get to us and chasing it back. And that's what we did.”
Kion's first goal was a particularly memorable strike, with the forward admitting he had a feeling it was heading for the net as soon as he made contact.
“As soon as it started rising, I was like, ‘Oh, that's going in.’ It was a good feeling.”
His second goal demonstrated his persistence in the box, as he followed up after initially seeing his effort come back off the post.
“That's half the job, isn't it?” he joked.
The forward also spoke positively about his time at Newport County, highlighting the support he has received from the coaching staff, players and supporters.
“I'm loving it, to be fair. I'm enjoying my time, feeling the love from everyone, coaching staff, fans, players. There's nothing better than that, especially as a lone player, than getting on with everyone.”
Having experienced injury setbacks in recent seasons, Kion also reflected on the importance of learning more about his recovery and the day-to-day work required to maintain his fitness.
He praised the atmosphere at Rodney Parade, with the Amber Army continuing to get behind the team and create an environment the players can feed off.
“The atmosphere is amazing. The fans get really behind us here and we get it rocking.”
With County now through to the next round, Kion is eager to see how far the Exiles can go in this season's competition.
“You always want to go as far as you can in this competition, so we're definitely going to try that.”
The forward also highlighted the importance of translating County's impressive home performances into results on the road, believing that doing so could help the side continue climbing the Sky Bet League Two table.
Hear more from Kion below ⬇️