D 3-3 vs Newport County (A) - League Two - Fri 20th Oct, 7:45pm

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A FRIDAY NIGHT under the floodlights at Rodney Parade awaits the top of the bottom-half of the league Saddlers this week, as we take on Newport County.

Rodney Parade

The Exiles are currently 20th in League Two with 14 points from their first 13 games, and are managed by Graham Coughlan, previously of Bristol Rovers and Mansfield Town.

Following their defeat last time out at Swindon Town, Coughlan described his team as “naive, young, and inexperienced”, and of lacking a little bit of quality, which could sometimes be the way we describe ourselves!

Leading scorer, Will Evans could be an injury doubt for the game after having to be substituted last time out, and he is their top scorer with 9 goals in 13 matches. He was signed from Cymru Premier side Bala Town in 2022, and after a steady season last season playing as a winger or a wingback, he seems to have found a new home as a striker!

Newport County’s fixtures over the past month have produced the following results:

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The Saddlers head into this game on the back of a 4-1 victory against Gillingham, a result that not many people would have seen coming before it happened. Isaac Hutchinson was the star of the game, sealing a first career hat-trick and gaining an assist for the other goal. Let’s hope he can keep this form going for a good while yet.

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We head into this game 13th in League Two with a fairly consistent inconsistency, winning games you wouldn’t expect, losing games you’d never have us down to lose, and drawing a fair amount also. If Mat Sadler can iron out some of the inconsistencies, we could be pushing the play-offs and the top three, as there is no doubt we have the players to be competing.

Heading into this game, there is no early injury news, however I believe that Liam Gordon will again be unavailable as he will be taking part in the second leg of Guyana’s fixture versus Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

Should there be no new injuries, I would be surprised to see any changes to the starting XI on the back of the result at the weekend, but do you feel MS will make any changes? Would you make any changes? If so, why? Let us know your XI’s.

For anybody heading to the game, hopefully you see another victory the makes the travel worthwhile. Is anyone making a weekend of it? What are others doing with no game on the Saturday?

Keep backing the lads.

UTS

PS. This game should be available on iFollow to view as it doesn’t clash with the Saturday blackout.

Newport County vs Walsall - Match Result
  • Newport County Win
  • Draw
  • Walsall Win

0 voters

2

Keep the same team start where we left off! Come on Walsall, prediction 2-0 to us. See you down there Saddlers

3

Conventional wisdom states you shouldn’t change a winning team.

But if Gordon comes through his next game unscathed and is fighting fit after travelling I’d bring him for Allen. And whilst he was superb on Saturday I’d switch out Williams for Farq if the latter is fit.

I think we’ll lose. Based upon nowt more than the fact we struggle to put two good performances/results together. Hopefully we expelled all of our shitness at Sutton and didn’t use up all of our goodness on Saturday.

Fair play to anybody going.

2 Likes
4

Away from home on a Friday
What’s our historic results on this occasion

5

I think this will be a draw. 1-1 Not had many draws away from home this season so this could be one.

6

Will Gordon be available for this game? If he is that’s the only change I’d make from Saturday.

7

I’d stick with the same team simply because we won 4 1 and they deserve the chance to go again. What’s the message otherwise to those dropped “oh you’re ok until so n so is back.
Those that started earned the right to go again but that’s only my view.

8

Unfortunately allen was our week link alongside Riley
If Gordon is back he starts because he is better defensive and forward
No room for sentiment when Allen hasn’t done enough to make it his

4 Likes
9

My historic results away from home on Friday nights have been severe hangovers on Saturday :rofl:

We won at Doncaster last season, took my lad so no hangover either.

We lost at Newport in the F.A Cup not too many years ago, pretty sure that was a Friday night. I also saw us win 5-1 at Newport on a Friday night.

2 Likes
10

Gordon for Allen 100%

The Priest against his former club for Williams 90% - he’s the established pro and Williams can be proud for filling in as well but he’s had good games and poor games , and can’t argue with the Priest coming in IMHO , as unlucky as it is after Saturday.

Foulkes for Riley ? 50-50 . Riley looks out of sorts but Foulkes is a risk also .

11

Chester away in 06-07 was a Friday night I think? I’m sure Bertrand Bossu made an appearance. :joy:

4 Likes
12

I was there!

2 Likes
13

Yes, I thought of that one, and also a game at Colchester in 2000 when Tony Barras was sent off after about 20 minutes and we won 2-0.

14

Sat in the open stand behind the goal a few seasons back. Was very overcast but miraculously the heavens didn’t open. Think Flynn had just left Newport and people thought he was going to Cardiff who’d just sacked Mick McCarthy.

Weather forecast looks dismal for Friday although perhaps the rain will have cleared by 7 ish…still a win and that will become a very memorable away match!

Will go for a non-descript 1-1.

15

Just checked on 11v11. We won 5-1 at Newport on 28 February 1986 in front of 1,530 supporters. I was there at Somerton Park which I think is now an Asda.

UP THE SADDLERS

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16

We once beat Newport 5-1 away on a Friday night on my birthday, it was very cold and Ken Armstrong mysteriously didn’t make his debut…and still hasn’t.

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17

I remember being at Northampton’s old ground on a Friday night, 1990-ish I think, and losing 5-0.

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18

1-1 for me. Don’t want to get my hopes up too much as we’re inconsistent this season and we could see another 4 0 loss! Would be great to see PF back. Gordon looked tired against Swindon last time he returned from international duty and if he starts I’d sub him after 60 mins.

19

Yep, we also played Tranmere on a Friday night that season, think that was 0-0 also. And we played Lincoln on a Friday night at home, lost 2-1.

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20

I understand your point and it’s a valid one, Riley was ok but not outstanding the same for TA but they contributed to a team that ran riot against the gills so for me it’s a case of don’t change it (in fairness I think MS will).