Hero Mark Has New Ambitions

Hero Mark Has New Ambitions

- Dan Barnes

AT THE end of last season, Mark O’Brien could quite easily have walked away from Newport County having safely establishing himself as modern-day hero at Rodney Parade.

However, that was never going to be the case.

Just four months after arriving in South Wales from Luton Town, the 24-year-old defender carved his name into the history books with the decisive swing of the boot that rounded off the Exiles’ breathtaking escape from the clutches of relegation last term.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a centre-forward that wouldn’t have been proud of the way the Irishman chested a flicked-on right-wing cross before volleying home to grab an 89th-minute winner against Notts County on the final day of last season, his first professional goal ensuring Newport would remain in League Two, despite being 11 points adrift in March.

Euphoria

The former Derby County man still revels in the euphoria of that unforgettable moment but, having since penned a new two-year contract with the club, he is keen to add a long-term legacy to his heroic role in the Exiles’ great escape.