PREVIEW: Rochdale vs Newport County

Newport go into Saturday's trip to Rochdale off the back of back-to-back wins, but have three new absentees for the game.

Two comeback wins in succession, 3-2 at home to Sutton and 2-1 against Port Vale, also at Rodney Parade have County in good form and 4th in the table ahead of the trip to Spotland.

County will be without striker Alex Fisher though who has tested positive for COVID on a Lateral Flow test and is awaiting the result of a PCR. 

Scot Bennett has an undisclosed injury that will keep him out as a precaution while Kevin Ellison has sustained facial injuries. 

Rochdale have been in a tough run of form recently and are without a win in six in all competitions and their latest league win came back on October 30 thanks to a 2-1 triumph at Barrow.

Jimmy Keohane is the only absentee for the hosts though, with everyone else available for selection for Robbie Stockdale.

Rochdale are currently 20th in the home table with 11 points from a possible 30 while County are 6th in the away table with 16 points from 11 games.

County striker Dom Telford will be hoping to score in the ninth successive game for him with his 14 goals having him top of the League Two scoring charts while Rochdale's main man in-front of goal is Jake Beesley with seven.

Newport have not won at Rochdale since 1977, but it is worth noting that the two teams have only met in Rochdale four times since then.

The last meeting between the two sides was a 2-1 Newport win on the final day of the 2013-14 season with Aaron O'Connor and Kevin Feeley goals earning the comeback win after Rochdale took the lead in the first half.