Chris Beech: Carlisle boss's Newport remarks 'out of order', says Mickey Demetriou

Newport manager Michael Flynn and Carlisle boss Chris Beech are both vying for promotion

Defender Mickey Demetriou says claims that Newport County's players "work the referee" to get favourable decisions are "out of order".

The 31-year-old rejected the comments made by Carlisle manager Chris Beech, saying he should "concentrate on his own team".

Beech made the claims following the 0-0 draw against County at Rodney Parade.

"There was constant screaming on the floor and it's not nice," Beech had told reporters after Tuesday's game.

"Their skipper [Joss Labadie] has gone rolling around on the floor and he's a good player.

"It's almost like they have no reason to stop doing it unless they get booked. Hopefully they clamp down on it because I think the referees are aware of it.

"They test the referee with their constant screaming".

The draw at Rodney Parade kept Newport in the play-off places in sixth, with Carlisle remaining three points behind in ninth, but Demetriou is unhappy with the comments levelled at the squad.

"It probably is a little out of order because he [Beech] can't think it's just us," Demetriou said

"Labs is getting all the attention with it because he is such an important player for us, whether that's his robustness in midfield, winning free-kicks or giving away free-kicks to put the pressure on.

"But for him [Beech] to say we are playing the referee, I think that is wrong because both teams get on to the referee in different ways

"No one teaches players to get on top of the referee, it just happens throughout a game.

"There's been a few games recently that we feel we haven't got any decisions. Possibly he was upset that maybe we were getting more fouls than his team but I didn't think that was the case.

"He's got to, like any other manager, concentrate on his own team, first and foremost, and then let everyone else worry about themselves."

Cambridge goal threat

On Saturday Newport host second-placed Cambridge United, who possess League Two's top goal scorer Paul Mullin.

"He's having a great season, that's why Cambridge are in the position that they're in," Demetriou said.

"When you have someone scoring 28 goals, you are there or thereabouts at the right end of the table.

"He's not doing it alone. They're a very good team this year, which they always are. We have got to be on our game and we've got to go out there and give it everything we've got.

"If you look at recent seasons, and this year, we do perform better against the teams that are so-called better than us, higher in the table.

"For a long time this season there weren't many that were above us in the table but at the moment we find ourselves down the order of the table, and we've got to try and find a way to stay there and try and climb it as much as we can for the next six games."