Newport County’s busy schedule shows no signs of letting up with the visit of Walsall FC on Tuesday evening. County will be looking to get back to winning ways after recent results, and the midweek fixture at Rodney Parade will offer a quick opportunity to do just that.
Here, you can find all the facts and statistics ahead of this League Two matchup...
Walsall in League Two so far
Walsall have had a very similar season to County, in the sense that they too have gone through spells of form.
Late September saw the Saddlers pick up three wins in a row, however this was followed by six consecutive losses.
Walsall have since seen mixed results, but are coming into the game off the back of a 2-1 away win at Forest Green.
The Saddlers find themselves level on points with County in 14th place, having played three games more.
Team News
Both teams should have more or less full strength squads on offer for the match.
Deadline day signing Otis Khan could be in line to make his full debut, while Ashley Baker could return after missing the last two games.
Walsall have no current injury worries or suspensions.
One to Watch – Josh Gordon
Josh Gordon had a quiet start to the season, but has definitely picked up the pace, becoming Walsall’s top scorer in the league and joint-top scorer in all competitions.
Gordon’s first league goal came in late October and he has gone on a run that means his current tally stands at seven.
The forward has also scored a hattrick this season in Walsall’s 6-0 victory against Forest Green in the Leasing.Com Trophy.
Manager – Darrell Clarke
Darrell Clarke took over at Walsall in May 2019 following the departure of Dean Keates after the side’s relegation to League Two.
This is Clarke’s third managerial job after spells at Salisbury City and Bristol Rovers.
The 42-year-old’s time at Bristol saw him guide the side to back to back promotions from the Conference up to League One.
Clarke also had an 18 year playing career, making 438 total appearances and scoring 56 goals.
Last Meeting Between the Sides
The last meeting with Walsall earlier this season, in August, saw the sides play out a 0-0 draw at the Banks’s Stadium.
The result saw County stretch their unbeaten run to 14 in the league, however a Jamille Matt opportunity could have given the Exiles all three points.
James Hardy and Dan Scarr both fired off target for the Saddlers in a hard-fought game.
Officials
Referee: Brett Huxtable
Assistant Referee 1: Richard Morris
Assistant Referee 2: Christopher Kidd
Fourth Official: Daniel Lamport
This is Brett Huxtable’s fourth season as a Football League referee, and he has previously taken charge of 13 Newport County matches. County’s record in these games is six wins, one draw and six losses.
So far this season Huxtable has officiated 24 games, handing out 89 yellow cards and three reds.
This follows on from last season where he took charge of 39 games, distributing 128 yellow cards and seven red cards.
Other League Two fixtures that evening (All 7:45pm kick-offs)
Bradford City v Stevenage FC
Carlisle United v Cheltenham Town
Colchester United v Grimsby Town
Crewe Alexandra v Crawley Town
Exeter Town v Oldham Athletic
Forest Green Rovers v Port Vale
Leyton Orient v Mansfield Town
Morecambe FC v Macclesfield Town
Northampton Town v Swindon Town
Salford City v Plymouth Argyle
Scunthorpe United v Cambridge United
Can’t make the match?
You can follow along on social media using @NewportCounty on Twitter, or via the Club’s official Facebook and Instagram pages.
A live showing of this fixture will occur on iFollow Exiles if a Match Pass is purchased (click here to buy now). Commentary by Charlie Brown & Michael Brown can be found at the Match Centre from 7:30pm.
An on-the-whistle match report of this match will be provided on the Club website upon the end of the game.
Michael Flynn’s post-match analysis will appear on the website the day after the game, while you can watch all of Flynn’s post-match press conference as-well as two County players by subscribing to iFollow Exiles now.