Newport look to respond to last Saturday’s defeat against table-topping Mansfield Town when they travel to Greater Manchester to take on Stockport County.
Graham Coughlan made one change to his team for last week’s game against Mansfield, with Seb Palmer-Houlden returning to the starting XI to replace Offrande Zanzala. Zanzala hit the net twice in our last away game at Harrogate and will be hoping to get some more game time this weekend.
Harry Charsley made his return to the team after a brief injury last weekend, coming on in the 63rd minute. The industrious midfielder will be hoping his impact has put him into consideration for Saturday’s trip.
Coughlan also confirmed in this morning's press conference that defender James Clarke is set to miss the remainder of the season after suffering an injury during Newport's clash with Mansfield.
Manager's Comments
"We weren't fluent, it wasn't easy on the eye," began Graham when reflecting on his side's last game out.
"That is what good teams do, they [Mansfield] came here with a game plan, they executed it well. The fact that we competed with them and can take a top team head to head, is very promising."
Looking ahead to Newport's next game, Coughlan is very much expecting 'more of the same': "We beat Stockport 2-1 back at Rodney Parade in November.
"They're up there [top end of the table] for a reason, they've been knocking on the door [promotion] for two or three seasons now, so this is maybe their year.
"We've got another tough test tomorrow, it'll be a really hostile atmosphere at a tough place to go but we're really looking forward to it," confirmed Coughlan.
Watch Graham Coughlan's full pre-match press conference by clicking HERE.
Opposition Form
Stockport come into Saturday’s game with their position in the automatic promotion spots under pressure. The Hatters have won just one of their last six league games and have not registered a win in their last three.
Their form at Edgeley Park has been inconsistent since the turn of the year, with the team only picking up one win on home soil so far in 2024. This win came back in January when they put Mat Sadler’s Walsall to the sword in an impressive 3-1 win.
David Challinor’s team have also struggled in front of goal, failing to hit the net in their last three games. This is despite the fact the manager has plenty of firepower at his disposal, with Issac Olaofe, Paddy Madden, and Kyle Wooton being three of the deadliest strikers in the league. Challinor has rotated the three names in recent weeks, with Olaofe and Madden being the preferred duo on their last outing.
Stockport will have been buoyed by the return of Ethan Pye from injury. The centre-back was an integral part of their promotion push in the first-half of the season but was injured in their New Years Day clash with Mansfield Town. He made his return to the side against Swindon, playing the entire second half and helping Stockport keep a clean sheet.
The Hatters have had a two week break since their last game, with last weekend’s away clash with Colchester delayed as a result of a waterlogged pitch. This will have given the hosts some time to refresh and reconsider their approach.
Ticket Info
You can find out about tickets for Saturday’s trip to Stockport County here:
Seated
Adult - £22
Senior 65+ - £16
Student - £16
Under 18 - £10
Under 14 - £8
Under 5 - £2
Tickets can be purchased HERE or from the away ticket office on the day.
Last Time Out
Our last game with Stockport was one of our best wins of the season. We welcomed The Hatters to Rodney Parade in November, and they arrived having won 12 consecutive games. Defeating us would have secured a new league record, but unfortunately for them, Graham Coughlan and his team had other ideas.
Spectacular strikes from Bryn Morris and Shane McLoughlin in either half were enough to hand us the victory, with a late goal from Issac Olaofe pulling one back for the visitors. You can read more about it in this week’s Season Rewind.
Head to Head
We have played Stockport County 37 times, with our first encounter with The Hatters coming all the way back in 1959. Of those 37 games, Saturday’s hosts have won 14, we have won 13, and 10 have ended in a draw.
Played for Both
There will be no players in either team this weekend that have lined up for the opposition. However, several names in the past have traded South Wales for Greater Manchester, and vice versa.
Kevin Ellison played for the Hatters 52 times between 2001 and 2004, right at the start of his EFL career. He would go on to play for eight more clubs over 16 years before finding his way to Rodney Parade in 2020. He made 33 appearances over two seasons before bowing out of the Football League in 2022.
Away Day Information
Stockport County have provided the following information for travelling fans to help plan their day:
Bag Policy - HERE
Away Fan Information - HERE
Edgeley Park away fan access map - HERE