This match preview is brought to you by Configur. Newport County’s Official Data Partner.
The new Sky Bet League Two season kicks off at Rodney Parade this Saturday as Newport County welcome Notts County in what promises to be a thrilling opening encounter.
It marks the start of a fresh era under Manager David Hughes, who leads his side out at home for the first time following Tuesday night’s dramatic Carabao Cup victory at Barnet.
After a positive pre-season and an encouraging first competitive outing, Hughes is relishing the opportunity to take charge in front of the Amber Army.
“I feel really relaxed about it. When you work with players and prepare them the best you can, and see how receptive they’ve been, it becomes relaxing on the touchline. The preparation is done. Now it’s about supporting them with small bits of information during the game.”
Having trained at Rodney Parade this week, the squad have had a chance to familiarise themselves with the pitch and surroundings, a small but important detail that Hughes believes will help.
“Some of the lads have never played here, so training at the ground helped. We're all looking forward to it. It's going to be a long season with highs and lows, but we're excited to get going.”
While Hughes is managing a few injuries, he’s confident in the depth and togetherness of his squad. Courtny Baker-Richardson is fully fit and available after the forward was withdrawn at half-time in midweek due to illness. Matt Smith, who has been eased back following a minor pre-season knock, is also in contention. Meanwhile, Ciaran Brennan, Jaden Warner, and Michael Spellman are working their way back to fitness, with a return anticipated within the next few weeks.
“We’ve got a tight squad, so keeping everyone fit and available is really important. Courtney was unwell and credit to him for trying to carry on, but he’s good to go. With Matt, it’s just about timing and building up his minutes.”
County’s pre-season has been about more than tactics and fitness, it’s been about building identity, something Hughes is clearly passionate about. It’s a mindset built on resilience, unity and purpose that Hughes believes reflect the very DNA of Newport County.
“We’ve spent a great deal of time discussing the importance of behaviours that reflect the supporters and the club. Everyone’s all in. We’ve got clear roles, clear expectations, and we want to make sure that when people leave Rodney Parade, they know this group gave everything. We know what this club is. It’s about spirit, grit and representing our people with pride. But we also want to add a little bit of style, a way of playing that gets people excited.”
Tuesday's penalty shootout win over Barnet provided a strong mental test, and County passed. Despite a dramatic late equaliser denying them victory in normal time, the players regrouped quickly. He was also quick to praise the squad players who came on to help see the game out and take penalties, underlining the collective spirit he's looking to build at Newport.
“They defended stoically for 94–95 minutes, then showed fantastic mentality to refocus and win the shootout. That mental toughness will be important over the season. Of course, there were lessons learnt but I can’t fault the lads for not losing their composure during the shootout.”
Notts County arrive at Rodney Parade with their sights set firmly on another promotion push. Last season’s play-off semi-finalists have made key additions this summer and will be among the pre-season favourites.
“They’ve invested well and will expect to be up there again. But for us, it’s about what we do. Can we make it difficult for them? Can we get on the front foot? Can we play in their half and make Rodney Parade an intimidating place to come? There’s a lot of talk about us being down the bottom again because of last season. That’s just noise. It’s about us. We’ll go out every week to prove people wrong and perform to the best of our ability. We’re not reinventing the wheel. We’re just being really clear on how we expect to play. The aim is to upset opponents and give our fans something to be proud of.”
When questioned on potential new arrivals at Rodney Parade, Hughes said “We’re still working to bring some new additions into the squad. The Chairman has been really supportive and these things take time.”
A bumper crowd is expected for Saturday’s opener, as David Hughes and his squad piece together the final preparations ahead of the new era at Rodney Parade.
To get your hands on the hottest ticket in town, click HERE