NEWPORT COUNTY manager Michael Flynn is channelling the spirit of TV show Bullseye as he looks ahead to tomorrow night's FA Cup fourth-round replay against Middlesbrough – and doesn’t want to spend the rest of the week thinking about what he could have won.

A home tie with Premier League champions Manchester City on February 16 is the prize for the winner of tomorrow’s replay at Rodney Parade, but while his League Two side have already knocked Leicester City out of this season’s FA Cup, the Newport boss is refusing to look too far into the future.

Speaking ahead of a reunion with Newport-born Boro boss Tony Pulis, Flynn had his own idiosyncratic way of describing why City are simply not on his agenda, referring to the popular Jim Bowen-hosted TV programme Bullseye of the 1980s and 1990s, where a speedboat was often the star prize.

“I am not thinking about Man City one bit, not a chance,” said Flynn. “This could end up like Bullseye - Bully’s special prize, look what you could have won!

“You start getting carried away and you see the boat floating off, and you end up with a rubber dinghy.”

The Northern Echo:

The late Jim Bowen, host of Bulleye Picture: ITV

Asked if he had thought about locking coaching horns with Guardiola, Flynn replied: “I will start imagining that about 10 o’clock on Tuesday night if we win.

“I have too much respect for Tony Pulis, too much respect for Middlesbrough Football Club and I am not an idiot. All I am thinking about is Middlesbrough.”

Flynn and City’s assistant coach, Mikel Arteta, are friends after being on the same Football Association of Wales coaching course a couple of years ago.

The pair have stayed in contact since and Flynn sent Arteta a text message when the fifth-round draw was made.

“I texted Mikel when the draw came out and said, ‘Thank God if we do get through it’s not at your place, because I would have been ill!’ said Flynn.

“I bet he did not even watch the draw. He’s thinking about the Champions League and Premier League. But you can see he is an outstanding coach, he was a quality player, and he is a quality human being.

“He’s always respectful, always wanting to learn, and working with Pep is not a bad first job to go into as soon as you retire.”

Newport made around £700,000 from reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup last season, knocking out Leeds United and taking Tottenham to a Wembley replay.

County expect that figure to be comfortably surpassed if Boro become the latest victims of a Rodney Parade giant-killing act.

Newport beat Premier League Leicester 2-1 at home in the third round, and then drew 1-1 at Boro with Matty Dolan scoring a last-gasp equaliser against his former club.

“Getting a result against Boro would be absolutely huge for the football club,” said Flynn. “This game could be worth up to seven figures what with the prize money, extra money for going further than any other League Two club, TV money and another sell-out.”