Exiles boss David Hughes will mix a Halloween cocktail in a bid to smash a Rodney Parade hoodoo and blitz a route into the FA Cup Second Round at Gillingham’s expense on Saturday [3pm].
Newport are one of the most feared lower league cup giant killers of recent years slaying Leeds, Leicester and Middlesbrough – with Tottenham, Man City and Manchester United also scared out of their skins on the banks of the Usk.
The Exiles will be looking to continue their fine form, building on three consecutive victories and clean sheets on the road, with Hughes reflecting, “It is all about momentum and performance, which is what we must be striving for going into this tie with Gillingham.”
Certainly, the Gills, who started the season strongly, have fallen into a difficult run, having not won in six matches, under the stewardship of stand-in manager Richard Dobson, who is deputising for Gareth Ainsworth as he continues to recover from heart surgery.
The Gills do boast a potent war head in ex-Blackburn striker Bradley Dack and former Wales Euro 16 hero Sam Vokes, Welsh playmaker Jon Williams available too after suspension.
The diamond format so effective in the 3-0 mauling of Harrogate in north Yorkshire last Saturday, with silky Kai Whitmore pulling the strings, could be adjusted to cut down the Gills, who won 3-1 at Rodney Parade back in September.
Said Hughes, “We analyse every opponent and fathom the best approach, this game will be no different.
“Looking at that defeat to Gillingham weeks ago, we were superb in the first twenty five minutes – even Gareth [Ainsworth] admitted that. Football is all about scoring when on top, that’s how you achieve positive results.”
Lee Jenkins, so dominant as a leader in recent weeks, boomed, “The FA Cup is a magical competition for me. Players have to see it as an opportunity to showcase their talent if the third round can be reached – this is when the Premier League and Championship clubs join the competition.
“The national media cameras capture all the stories, and we’d [Newport] would like to be a major part of the script this season.”
