Next Up: Newport County vs Exeter City – EFL Trophy
City’s unbeaten run now stands at four matches in three competitions following the hard-fought 1-1 draw with Wigan on Saturday, and attention turns to the final group match in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night. There is everything to play for as all four sides in the group have won one and lost one so far, meaning it’s winner takes all in both fixtures. Gary Caldwell named a strong side in the 4-3 win over Arsenal’s youngsters in the previous group match, and the indications are that he will once again pick a side full of first team experience even if it’s mostly players on the fringes of the starting XI. Johnly Yfeko may start having made it to the bench on Saturday following the injury picked up against Reading, while others such as Sil Swinkels may feature, including possible returns from injury for the likes of Jake Doyle-Hayes.
Newport have struggled this season, and a 4-2 home defeat to Walsall on Saturday saw the Exiles drop once again to the foot of the League Two table, doing little to dispel the pundits’ forecasts of another season of struggle having finished one place above relegation last season. Tasked with the job of keeping them in the league is David Hughes, who’d previously held a number of academy roles at clubs like Manchester United and Cardiff. Top scorer Kai Whitmore has just three goals, while the experienced Courtney Baker-Richardson, in his second spell at the club, will expect to feature. One player unlikely to play is Shaun Macdonald, the popular back-up keeper at City previously, he signed on at Newport but finds himself as third choice. It’s worth noting that Newport have been involved in two penalty shootouts this season, winning them both, so City would do well to avoid spot kicks.
The sides last met in this competition in 22/23, with visitors Newport recording something of a shock 2-1 win against their higher division opposition. City led through Kegs Chauke, but Newport came back through Chanka Zimba and Omar Bogle. Soccerbase records each side as having won once in this competition, but it’s entirely possible the sides met in the early days of the competition where Soccerbase has no records currently.
The match officials for this game will be:-
Referee: Scott Jackson
Assistant Referees: James Tewso and Jack Clench
Fourth Official: Keiran Forrest
Scott Jackson took charge of two games in the 2023/24 season. The 1-0 home defeat to Barnsley in October 2023, and the 2-2 draw at at Leyton Orient in April 2024. So far this season he’s taken charge of 12 games, showing 38 yellow cards and sending off two players.
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