Newport County return to Sky Bet League Two action on Boxing Day as they make the trip to Bromley (3pm).
After an emphatic 6-3 victory against MK Dons last Saturday, the Exiles will be looking to build on their strong festive run of five games unbeaten.
Pre-Match Views
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s game, Nelson Jardim said: "Bromley will be a totally different challenge to the one we faced against MK Dons.
“Every game in this division is tough. I know that and so does everyone else. It’s going to be a tough test and we’re going to have to be at it from the start.
“If you’re not prepared then you will be punished in this league, and my job is to prepare the players best as possible.”
Opposition Form
After being promoted from the national league and into the English football league for the first time, Bromley have had a decent start to life in league two.
The East London based side currently sit in 13th place with 27 points after 20 games while also having the lowest average possession (40.3%) in the league. Andy Woodman’s side have also not lost in seven games, with the Ravens winning 4 and drawing 3 games.
One player who has been vital to Bromley’s success this season is Michael Cheek. The striker has been at the club since 2019 and played a crucial role in their recent promotion. But this season the 33 year old striker has proved that he belongs at this level after only playing non league football his whole career.
With 11 goals and two assists in 19 matches, Cheek has put himself amongst the top scorers in the league in joint first. Cheek will most definitely go down as a Bromley legend as he even scored their first goal in the Football League, in a 2–0 win away to Harrogate Town.
Shared Shirts
Corey Whitely, who spent one season at Newport County in 2019, will also be a familiar face for fans. The attacker made 19 appearances for the Exiles, scoring once, before joining Bromley on loan. After permanent moves to both Bromley and Boreham Wood, Whitely has since become a key figure for the Ravens, making 165 appearances and scoring 23 goals.
Head-to-Head
Newport County and Bromley last faced in 2010 when both sides were in the Conference South with the Exiles prevailing 3-2 winners. In fact this fixture tends to favour the Exiles with three wins (two home and one away) in the last four meetings between these sides.
Boxing Day Record
Newport County have a solid Boxing Day record in recent years, remaining unbeaten in this fixture since 2019, when they lost 2-1 to Exeter City. In their most recent Boxing Day encounter, Newport claimed a thrilling 4-2 victory over Forest Green Rovers in 2023, overturning a two-goal deficit in the second half with Will Evans (2), Lewis Payne, and Ryan Delaney all on the scoresheet.
Bromley, on the other hand, have also remained unbeaten on Boxing Day since 2019, with their last defeat coming in a 3-0 loss to Dover in the same year.
Meet The Officials
Sunny Singh Gill will be the man in charge for tomorrow’s game.
The experienced referee regularly oversees games in both League One and League Two and is set to officiate his first County match of the season.
Read more about his officiating team HERE.
Key facts
- This will be the first competitive meeting between Bromley and Newport County in the Football League.
- Newport County are unbeaten in their last six away games against London-based sides in the Football League (W2 D4), dating back to a 1-0 defeat to Sutton United in April 2022.
- Bromley’s last match ended in a 0-0 draw with Port Vale, breaking an eight-match streak of scoring and conceding in their home league fixtures.
- Newport County have only won two of their 35 away Football League games on Boxing Day, with victories coming against Shrewsbury Town (4-1) in 1951 and Wycombe Wanderers (1-0) in 2013.
