Newport welcome Premier League opposition to Rodney Parade this Tuesday night when we take on Brentford in the second round of the EFL Cup.
The Exiles will feel ready for the challenge, with an unbeaten record on home soil so far in the 2023/24 campaign. We sealed a 3-1 victory over Sutton United on Saturday, with an own goal and headers from Harry Charsley and Will Evans securing the three points.
Evans has been in fine form so far this campaign. He has netted seven goals in all competitions so far, including a goal against Charlton in the first round of the EFL Cup.
Giant killings have become our speciality in recent years, with the likes of Leicester, Leeds, and Luton all being put to the sword by inspired Exiles performances.
Coughlan will have no fresh injuries to worry about ahead of the encounter, and fans will be eagerly awaiting to see if Omar Bogle’s name makes it back into the starting 11. The talented striker made his first appearance of the season on Sunday, coming off the bench to help change the game against Sutton.
Manager’s Comments
This week Assistant Manager Joe Dunne faced the questions from the press ahead of tomorrow's clash.
"Hopefully Saturday's result, gives supporters an incentive to come (to watch tomorrow's match)" Explained Joe.
"It's a very difficult ask (of supporters), to have three home games in a week but we hope the lure of a Premier League opposition and top quality staff, top quality manager gives fans a reason to come.
"One thing we do know here is that when Rodney is rocking it's a real buzz."
You can watch the full pre-match interview with Joe Dunne here:
Opposition Form
Brentford have made an unbeaten start to the 2023/24 season in the Premier League. Thomas Frank’s team kicked things off with a thrilling 2-2 draw against Tottenham. They followed this up with a dominant 3-0 away victory at Fulham.
They finished their trio of London derbies with a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace this Saturday. Brentford let through Kevin Schade’s goal in the 18th minute but were pegged back by a 78th-minute equaliser from Joachim Andersen.
The club will see the EFL Cup as a real chance to win silverware this season and will likely field a strong side tomorrow.
Ticket Info
Ticket prices for Tuesday’s game are as follows:
Bisley/Compeed
Adult - £25
Senior - £23
Young Adult - £21
Under 16’s - £15
Under 12 - £12
Under 6 - £0
Terracing
Adult - £21
Senior - £19
Young Adult - £17
Under 16’s - £14
Under 12 - £12
Under 6 - Free
100 club
Adult - £31
Senior - £26
Young Adult - £22
Under 16 - £16
Under 12 - £14
Under 6 - £7
You can purchase tickets online here.
Tickets can still be purchased on the day of the Brentford game. Ticket prices will increase by £2 on the day.
Last Time Out
You have to dig right into the record books to find the last time we played Brentford. Our last match with The Bees took place all the way back in 1987. The match ended in a stalemate, with both teams hitting the net twice. Our last win against Brentford was a 5-2 thriller on January 26th,1985.
Head to Head
While we may not have played Brentford for over 30 years, we have a shared history with the club. We have played each other 79 times, dating all the way back to our first encounter in December 1920. Brentford have won 33 of those games, with Newport winning 21 times and 25 matches ending in a draw.
Played for Both
There are not many players that have swapped life at Brentford for Newport County or vice-versa. The most recent player to have spent time at both clubs is Paul Hayes. Hayes spent a year and a half at Griffin Park between 2012-2013, hitting the net four times in 23 games.
Hayes used LinkedIn to help find a club in 2017, and our then-manager Michael Flynn was the man to snap him up. Hayes would only play 14 times for the club, but he did manage to bag himself three goals in those games.
Going further back, Dean Holdsworth is one of the most notable names to have been involved with both clubs. Holdsworth signed for Brentford back in 1989, spending three years at the club and winning the Third Division Championship. The striker formed a formidable partnership with Gary Blissett, scoring 54 times in 117 appearances at the club.
He would join Newport towards the end of his playing career, playing just 12 times and scoring three. However, it would be as a manager that he would make the most impact. Holdsworth joined us in 2008 and in his second season at the club, guided us to promotion from the National League South with a record-breaking 103 points.