Newport County will be hoping for some luck in their thirteenth home league game of the season against Chesterfield (January 24).
Newport may still be at the foot of League Two, but promising signs in their last set of games have given hope that they can battle fiercely against their relegation rivals.
Meanwhile, Chesterfield are attempting to replicate last season’s efforts and reach the top six.
State of Play
Newport County manager Christian Fuchs has seen an uplift in his two months in charge of the club.
Narrow defeats away to strong teams in Bromley and Gillingham have shown fighting spirit in the former Leicester man’s side, with their victory over Crewe Alexandra in December still fresh in the memory.
Despite still being bottom of the league, County are only a point behind Harrogate in 23rd, and two points behind Crawley and a position of safety.
Our Opponents
Chesterfield are right in the hunt for play-off contention, just a point outside the zone but having played a game more than many competitors.
They come into this one in eighth on 41 points, breathing down the necks of Notts County.
Last season, they fell short in the play-offs, losing 4-1 on aggregate to Walsall in their first season in the EFL since 2017-18.
In fact, with five points separating them from the top three, automatic promotion is still not totally out of the question.
The main talking point of their squad will be the inclusion of Sammy Braybrooke, who jumped ship from The Exiles to join Paul Cook at the SMH Group Stadium.
What They Said
First Team Coach Gary Roberts was weary of County’s threats in his Thursday press-conference ahead of this one.
“Christian [Fuchs] had a decorated playing career, winning the league with Leicester, and he took on a tough job.
“They’re probably not as expansive as they were, they sit in a little bit more with the system they have.
“It’s probably about us more than Newport – obviously they have threats on the pitch, and we feel we're quite prepared for what they bring.
“We need to start winning games now, and it starts tomorrow.”
Head-to-Heads
The previous form in this match does not make great reading for County.
Chesterfield have won the last four meetings between the two, and haven’t been defeated by The Exiles since their return from non-league in 2024.
The Spireites have a superior track record in the fixture, with 23 wins to Newport’s 16, andonly two draws since their first meeting in November 1946.
The last time Newport claimed a win against their opponents was in August 2017, when a Frank Nouble hat-trick helped them romp to a 4-1 victory despite being a goal down at half-time.
