Newport look to bounce back from Friday’s late defeat to Colchester when they welcome Crawley Town to Rodney Parade.
Graham Coughlan made three changes to his team for Friday’s game as he navigates a hectic Easter schedule. Matty Bondswell, Matt Baker, and Offrande Zanzala were all brought into the team, with Seb Palmer-Houlden, Harrison Bright, and Adam Lewis dropping to the bench.
This will have given players a chance to rest ahead of the game, and fans could see more changes made when the team news drops on Monday afternoon.
Opposition Form
Scott Lindsey’s Crawley have been one of the dark horses of the 23/24 campaign. Tipped as relegation strugglers at the beginning of the year, the Sussex-based club have defied all expectations, and currently sit just one point outside the play-offs in ninth.
The Red Devils’ Easter weekend also started slowly when they lost 2-0 to an in-form Doncaster Rovers at home on Friday. Goals from Hakeeb Adelakun and Max Biamou secured 10-man Donny the victory and knocked Crawley out of the play-off spots.
This was only Crawley’s second loss in ten, with Lindsey’s team winning six and drawing two. The team’s away form has been the key to their recent success, with them only losing one of their last six on their travels, winning four and drawing one. Their last away outing saw them defeat Tranmere 3-1.
Last Time Out
Our last game with Crawley took place on September 9th, and it was a game to forget for Newport. Nick Tsaroulla grabbed an early lead for Crawley in Sussex before Omar Bogle pulled one back for us on the 10-minute mark.
The game went in 1-1 at half-time, but the second half did not go as planned. A brace from Adam Campbell and a long-range effort from Ben Gladwin saw the home side claim all three points with a 4-1 win.
Head to Head
We first met Crawley back in the 2010/11 season in the National League when we beat them 3-2 at the Broadfield Stadium. They would get their revenge at Rodney Parade later in the campaign, securing a 1-0 win.
Since then, we have played each other 19 times, winning six, drawing five, and losing eight.
Played for Both
The most notable player to have played in both South Wales and West Sussex in recent years is Dom Telford. Telford was on excellent form during his time at Newport, with the striker grabbing 26 goals in 52 appearances.
He would leave us at the end of the 21/22 season and sign for Crawley. His time at the Broadfield Stadium was not quite as productive, but he still netted 12 goals in 47 games. He has since made the long move up north to play for Pete Wild’s Barrow.