We host our third blockbuster tie at Rodney Parade in as many weekends when we welcome Swindon Town this Saturday.
County fans will be hoping to catch a glimpse of new signing Luke Jephcott. The striker signed last week but was not included in the squad for our clash with Manchester United. Another striker they might see some more of this weekend is Offrande Zanzala. He returned to the bench for the first time this season last weekend and will be hoping to make an appearance against Swindon tomorrow.
Coughlan has no fresh injury worries ahead of the clash and will look to make it three league wins in a row for the first time this season and extend our unbeaten run in League Two to six games.
Manager's Comments
"It's back to our bread and butter," began the Gaffer.
"We're looking to carry on our league form, we've not been beaten in the league this year, which is brilliant!" he smiled.
"We're looking forward to it, our performance levels have been good, we've played the top teams such as Wrexham, Stockport etc and they've found out what our fans, our club and our players are about.
"Hopefully we can get another strong performance in tomorrow for another really tasty fixture. I'm really looking forward to it to be honest," he concluded.
You can watch the Manager's full pre-match interview online HERE.
Opposition Form
Swindon arrive in South Wales following a 2-0 home win against Bradford, with first-half goals from Charlie Austin and Dawson Devoy settling the tie. Despite this win, The Robins have struggled for form in the last couple of months, winning one of their previous eight ties before last weekend.
They parted ways with former Exiles boss Michael Flynn towards the end of January, with interim coach Gavin Gunning tasked with steadying the ship until a permanent manager is recruited.
Away wins, in particular, have eluded The Robins, with the club winning just two away from home this campaign. Their last win on their travels was against Accrington Stanley in a 4-3 thriller, with two late goals from the hosts making the game appear closer than it was.
The losses of Dan Kemp and Jake Young have been a huge blow for Swindon. The two loan players, who have returned to their parent clubs, MK Dons and Bradford City, scored a combined 30 goals for The Robins in the first half of the campaign. Swindon have netted 52 goals in total, a number which highlights their importance to the team.
While neither of these players made a return to the club during the final week of the transfer window, The Robins were busy in the closing hours, bringing in four new faces on Wednesday and Thursday.
Zach Elbouzedi, Sean McGurk and Aaron Drinan added reinforcements up top, while Harry McKirdy returned to the club on loan from Hibernian. McKirdy returned to Wiltshire after an exceptional run at the club in 2021-22, which ended in heartache when he blazed a penalty over the bar against Port Vale in the play-offs.
Swindon Fans will be hoping to catch a first glimpse of all of these players on Saturday afternoon.
Last Time Out
Our last encounter against Swindon ended in a 2-0 defeat at The County Ground earlier in the campaign. An early goal from Dan Kemp put us on the back foot, with a late effort from Rushian Hepburn-Murphy ensuring three points for the hosts.
Ticket Info
This fixture is all-ticket. Tickets will be unable to be bought on the day of the game.
Head to Head
We have an extremely long history with Swindon, with our first match against them taking place on October 21st, 1920. This will be the 96th competitive clash between us, with Swindon winning 44, us winning 21, and the other 30 ending in a draw.
Played for Both
Only one man has played for both teams in the squads this weekend, and that is Swindon’s newest recruit, Harry McKirdy. McKirdy spent a period of time on loan at Rodney Parade in 2019. The forward played 12 times during his brief stint in South Wales, hitting the net just once.
One of the more notable names to have lined up for both teams is Danny Rose. Rose played 149 games for us between 2008 and 2012 and would end up playing for Swindon in 2019, making 29 appearances for The Robins. Other former names include Scott Twine and Miles Storey.
Matchday Sponsor
Tomorrow's matchball sponsor is Candour Talent. Candour Talent is an established and trusted recruitment partner offering bespoke permanent, temporary and specialist contract solutions for multiple industries spanning both the commercial and industrial sectors. You can find out more about Candour by clicking HERE.
Candour Talent's logo is proudly displayed on the rear of Newport County's 2023/24 home kit shorts.
Newport County would like to thank Candour Talent for their fantastic support.
Matchball Sponsor
Our matchball sponsor for tomorrow's league two clash is Alfa Staff. Alfa staff are a family owned business based in Newport, South Wales, providing full-time, part-time, contract and adhoc work to HGV drivers and industrial staff across Wales and the South West of England. You can find out more information on Alfa Staff by clicking HERE.
Alfa Staff are prominantly displayed on the front of this season's Newport County away shirt. Newport County would also like to take this opportunity to thank Alfa Staff for their unwavering support and hope they thoroughly enjoy tomorrow's game!
