Newport County: O'Connor and Jolley relish Wembley glory

Aaron O'Connor says Newport County proved their doubters wrong by returning to the Football League after a 25-year absence.

O'Connor followed up Christian Jolley's opener with the late effort that sealed a 2-0 Blue Square Bet Premier play-off final win over Wrexham at Wembley.

"We've been underdogs all season," said O'Connor, "but we knew that we were good enough to achieve something."

Jolley said: "It's just unbelievable... a great effort from all the boys."

O'Connor's strike killed off Wrexham's attempts to strike back following Jolley's 86th-minute opener and he says Newport's pace up front was the telling factor.

He added: "It's amazing. All the build-up, everything and what it means to the people in Wales; 25 years for Newport since they've been in the league.

"There was extra pressure for [playing] Wrexham, we've been underdogs all season.

"But we knew that we were good enough to achieve something.

"They had good periods, long periods of the second half.

"But we had to ride it out. I wouldn't say [it was] our game plan, but we knew one of our attributes playing against their back four would be our pace, getting in behind them.

"And that proved the fact with both goals; I know they were pushing up for the second, but the first goal Jolls [Jolley] used his pace [got a good] good finish and getting behind.

"It's what he's been doing all season and then we had to hit them on the break, me and Jolls again, and I managed to get the second."

Jolley said Wrexham frustrated him for most of the game and paid tribute to their efforts.

"I thought they [Wrexham] were brilliant," said Jolley.

"They stopped me playing. I came in after half time and I got frustrated, I couldn't impact the game the way I have been doing so it's credit to them.

"They kept the ball brilliantly, I think.

"I think the possession stats will be in their favour, highly.

"But it's credit to us, we stayed in the game.

"Again, the boys at the back have been keeping clean sheets consistently now for the last bit of the season.

"So as long as they do that - and we know they do that - then we know we'd have an opportunity to score and luckily it came and we did the job.

"I've just been saying to [Newport defender] Byron Anthony - the stigma around the footballer, the stereotype and so on - it really feels good to give something back.

"Twenty five years is a long time and the club's just been a brilliant place to be and it's a great feeling."