Our U18 side face Swindon Town this Saturday, looking to build on a positive 1-1 draw against Cheltenham Town last weekend.
We preview Swindon’s last five fixtures, backroom staff and look back at previous fixtures between the Young Exiles and the Robins in the past year.
Previous Fixtures
We’ve enjoyed varied success against Swindon Town over the past year, winning one out of three games last season.
Swindon narrowly beat the Young Exiles 3-2 at home in their first encounter of the 2016/17 season. The following fixture saw the Robins continue the trend; they won 3-0 against County at Newport International Sports Village last November.
Despite this, the most recent fixture between the two sides was a 4-2 win for the Young Exiles at Dragon Park. Goals from Joe Hunt, Modou Touray, Owen Taylor and Rhys Kavanagh helped Byron Anthony’s side to their third victory in the Merit League 1.
Backroom Staff
Swindon’s U18s are currently managed by Alan McLoughlin, who picked up 42 international caps for the Republic of Ireland over his career.
Some of his previous clubs include Manchester United, Swindon Town and Portsmouth, with his career spanning over 18 years. McLoughlin has previously worked as first-team coach at Portsmouth, taking up his role at Swindon in August 2016.
The Robins appointed Seamus Brady as Academy Director this August, tasking him with overseeing the day-to-day running of all aspects of the academy with academy Manager Jeremy Newton – who holds a UEFA Pro Licence.
Last Five Fixtures
Swindon have been in brilliant form recently – they currently sit 2nd in the league and have only lost two games this season.
In the past five games, they picked up three wins, drew one and lost one. Their loss came against leaders Bournemouth, losing 2-1 against Alan Connell’s side.
Wins against Forest Green Rovers, Cheltenham Town and Bristol Rovers have helped Swindon keep on the trail of Bournemouth; the Robins currently are a point behind the league leaders ahead of this weekend’s fixture, although the Cherries currently have a game in hand.
Match Details
The Young Exiles face Swindon Town FC’s U18 side on Saturday 21st October at Lliswerry School – looking to pick up their second win of the season this weekend. (10:30AM Kick-Off)
Come down to Lliswerry School before our first-team fixture against Mansfield Town and support the future of the club. (NP19 4RP)
If you can’t make it to the match, follow our official academy twitter account @Youth_County for live updates and match photos throughout the match.
FA Youth Cup
The Young Exiles have also drawn Swindon Town in the first round of the FA Youth Cup. The tie will be played by 4th November with full details of the match to follow soon.