Following last week’s FA Cup third-round clash with Eastleigh, attention turns back to the league this weekend as we make the long journey north to Doncaster. Our last outing against Grant McCann’s team ended in a comfortable 4-0 win at Rodney Parade, but Newport will be expecting a tougher test at the Eco-Power Stadium tomorrow.
Graham Coughlan has named an unchanged side for the last three games in league and cup but could look to make some changes ahead of a busy week, with an away trip to Eastleigh mid-week before we welcome Wrexham to Rodney Parade this weekend.
The gaffer has no fresh injury worries ahead of the match.
Manager's comments
Graham Coughlan was feeling confident yet cautious ahead of Newport's trip to Doncaster in this morning's press conference: "Doncaster is going to be a real test," he began.
"We're on the road again, but it's to somewhere we like, it's somewhere that we performed really well at last season beating them 3-1. We also played well against them earlier this season at Rodney Parade where we beat them 4-0. So our last two games have been really positive.
"However, they are a really good team and Grant [McCann] is a really good manager. You can see at the moment that they're turning a corner, their performance levels have got better and better as the weeks have progressed and they do mean business, just looking at their new recruits they've introduced this January.
"They'll be really strong and it's going to take a lot of effort from our lads to take anything from them tomorrow," concluded Coughlan.
You can watch the full pre-match press conference with Graham Coughlan now on our YouTube channel by clicking HERE.
Opposition Form
Doncaster Rovers have had an underwhelming season by their own standards so far, and they find themselves 19th in the league on 28 points.
Heading into Saturday’s game, they have won just one of their last seven games, with their solitary three points coming in a 3-0 home win against MK Dons, a result that went against the form of both teams.
Their last outing saw them lose 3-1 away at Harrogate, a derby day loss they will want to put behind them quickly.
Former Cambridge striker Joe Ironside has been Rovers’s biggest threat this campaign. He has hit the net 11 times in the league, including three in his last five outings. He is likely to be partnered by Mo Faal and Luke Molyneux in attack, with the former also being a major threat, with seven goals this season under his belt.
Donny fans will be hoping to catch a glimpse of new signing and former Exile loanee Billy Waters. Waters signed on loan from Wrexham this week and will seek some first-team action in Yorkshire.
Ticket Info
You can find out more about tickets for our clash with Doncaster here.
| Age Category | Price |
| Adult | £20 |
| Senior 65+ | £16 |
| Under 25 | £16 |
| Under 14 | £5 |
You can secure your tickets HERE or alternatively at the Eco-Power Stadium on the day of the game.
Last Time Out
Our last game with Doncaster ended in a 4-0 win back in August. Seb Palmer-Houlden opened the scoring in the sixth minute, beginning a 15-minute spell that would see us go 3-0 up in 21 minutes. Goals from Will Evans and a calamitous own goal from Richard Wood provided the other two.
Will Evans would grab his second of the game in the second half, securing the 4-0 scoreline. You can revisit the game in this week’s Season Rewind.
You can watch the match highlights HERE.
Head to Head
Doncaster have been regular opponents over the years, with 47 games taking place between the two sides. We have won 20 of these encounters, with Saturday’s hosts winning 16. There have been 15 draws between the two sides.
Played for Both
There have been many players that have swapped Newport for Doncaster, and vice versa, over the years.
Of our current squad, Omar Bogle is the most notable with links to the Keepmoat. Bogle played Rovers 27 times during the 21/22 season, scoring three times before heading to Hartlepool United.
Doncaster’s newest recruit, Billy Waters, also made a small number of appearances in South Wales. He was sent on loan to us from Northampton Town in 2020, making just six appearances and failing to score.
Other notable names to have played for both teams include Aaron Lewis and Jon Parkin. You can revisit some of these names in our Trading Places piece from earlier this campaign.