We return to Rodney Parade this Saturday afternoon when we welcome league leaders Stockport County.
Graham Coughlan’s team will be looking to bounce back following last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Mansfield Town in what promises to be one of the toughest tests of the season so far.
The team has been boosted by the return of several key players in recent weeks, with both Seb Palmer Houlden and James Clarke returning to the fold after time on the sidelines. Both men were given a slice of league action at Field Mill last weekend and will be hoping to break back into the first team on Saturday.
County have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the encounter.
Manager’s Comments
Manager Graham Coughlan was plenty complimetary of this weekend's visitors in his pre-match press conference, stating he understands the 'hype' and media attention around the side currently: "Stockport are getting a lot of attention in the build-up to this weekend's game, hopefully not after," he started.
"Fair play to them [Stockport] they're on a great run, they're a fantastic club who I can only see climbing this league.
"They've fought back [from the national league], their facilities are second-to-none, the size of the squad and all the nice things that they have, they deserve their accolades, their rewards and all the attention they're getting."
Despite offering praise to Challinor's side Coughlan was determined his side will be up to the task on Saturday: "I'm expecting our boys to embrace this challenge, enjoy it.
"It'll be really difficult, we've got to turn up, make sure we are at it and make sure we are on top form."
Opposition Form
Stockport County arrive at Rodney Parade in ferocious form. The club are currently on a 12-game winning streak, the longest of any Football League side since Luton Town achieved the same record in League Two in 2002.
Encouragingly, two of Stockport’s three defeats came away from home, with their last loss coming away at Mansfield Town on August 26th.
David Challinor’s team have no fresh injury worries ahead of Saturday’s game, with leading scorer Issac Olaofe expected to lead the line alongside Kyle Wootton. Antoni Sarcevic still remains on the sidelines after picking up an injury against Swindon two weeks ago.
Callum Camps will be pushing for a starting place in the team, with the midfielder hitting the net from the bench in his last two appearances. He has been a fringe player for the first team throughout the season. Experienced midfielder Nick Powell is likely to miss out on a starting place after struggling for minutes at Edgeley Park.
Ticket Info
You can find ticket information for this afternoon's game below:
|
Age Band |
Seated Advance |
Seated Walk up |
Terrace Advance |
Terrace Walk up |
100 Club Advance |
100 Club Walk up |
|
Adult |
£24 |
£26 |
£21 |
£23 |
£31 |
£33 |
|
Senior |
£20 |
£22 |
£19 |
£21 |
£26 |
£28 |
|
Young Adult 16-21 |
£18 |
£20 |
£15 |
£16 |
£22 |
£24 |
|
Under 16 |
£12 |
£14 |
£12 |
£14 |
£16 |
£18 |
|
Under 12 |
£10 |
£12 |
£12 |
£12 |
£14 |
£16 |
|
Under 6 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£0 |
£7 |
£9 |
You can purchase your match ticket by clicking HERE.
Last Time Out
Our last encounter with Stockport County is one Exiles would happily forget. We travelled to Greater Manchester over Easter weekend this year and were comfortably beaten 4-0 at Edgeley Park.
The hosts, still in the hunt for automatic promotion, took the lead through a first-half brace from Kyle Wootton. They then finished what was a difficult Monday afternoon for the 344 travelling Exiles with goals from Jack Stretton and Kyle Knoyle.
Head to Head
Our first match against Stockport County took place in March 1959, a 2-1 defeat at Edgeley Park. We would bounce back and defeat The Hatters 2-0 on their first trip to South Wales. Overall, the clubs have played each other 36 times, with Stockport winning 14, us winning twelve, and 10 games ending in a draw.
Played for Both
For the first time in several matchdays, there will be no former Exiles lining up against us when we welcome Stockport County this weekend. Likewise, none of our team has ever played for the visitors.
A popular face who played for both clubs is former Football League striker Kevin Ellison. Ellison spent three seasons at Stockport County from 2001-2004. He made 52 appearances for The Hatters but had not found the scoring form that would define his later career, hitting the net twice.
That was back at the start of his career, and he arrived at Rodney Parade towards the end of it, with cult-hero status in the EFL firmly in the bag. He would make 44 appearances for us across two seasons, hitting the net four times before bowing out of the Football League.
Going a little further back, Cardiff-born defender Damon Searle also made appearances for both clubs. After leaving his hometown club, Searle signed for Stockport, making 41 appearances over two years. He would join us in 2006, playing for two seasons before signing for Carmarthen Town and seeing out his career in the Welsh leagues.