Newport County will kick off their 2024-25 League Two campaign with a trip to Cheltenham Town tomorrow afternoon (3pm).
The Exiles head to the EV Charger Point Stadium aiming to start their league season on a positive note and secure an opening-day victory for the first time in three seasons.
It will also mark the first competitive game for Nelson Jardim as Exiles head coach.
Pre-Match Thoughts
Speaking ahead of the fixture, Nelson Jardim said: “We’re all excited for the game on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a special occasion for everyone, and we need to be ready for the challenge.
“Every game in League Two this season is going to be a challenge so we must ensure that we’re ready for each challenge that comes our way.
“We will be going up there to make sure we can compete first and foremost, and then we’re going to try and implement our game.”
A look at the opposition
Cheltenham Town will start life in League Two on Saturday after two consecutive seasons in League One.
The Robins put up a tough fight to hold their place in the third division, but Darrell Clarke’s men fell just short, being relegated with two games to go.
It has been a summer of huge change in Gloucestershire, with Clarke leaving the club and being replaced by former Exiles boss Michael Flynn. Flynn has had a rebuild on his hand, with the team losing several key players over the summer.
Over the course of pre-season, Flynn has brought in 15 new players, including several familiar faces for County fans. Joe Day, Ryan Haynes, Lewis Payne, and Scot Bennett could all make their compete Robins debut against County on Saturday.
Remember the last time?
We last travelled to Cheltenham in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy last season. A first-half strike from Nathan Wood and a fantastic effort from Will Evans in the second half were enough to secure us a 2-0 win over Darrell Clarke’s team.
Key numbers
- Cheltenham Town have struggled historically against Newport County in the EFL, winning just two of their 13 encounters since their first meeting in November 2013. The other matches have resulted in seven draws and four losses for Cheltenham.
- In recent matchups, Newport County has been remarkably consistent, scoring exactly one goal in each of their last eight EFL games against Cheltenham.
Cheltenham Town has had a tough time in their season openers, failing to win any of their last eight opening games in the Football League (D2 L6) since their 1-0 victory over Bury at the start of the 2014-15 season.
- As Newport County kicks off their campaign away from home for the fifth consecutive EFL season, they’ll be hoping to replicate their sole victory in these fixtures—a 1-0 win over Oldham in August 2021. The other three opening away games ended in two draws and one loss for the Exiles.
How to follow
Exiles fans unable to join us tomorrow afternoon are able to keep up-to-date with the action across our social media channels (X, Facebook, Instagram).
The fixture will also be live on the newly introduced Sky Sports+. Existing Sky Sports subscribers will be able to watch the clash at no extra cost. To find out more about Sky Sports+ click HERE.