Newport County welcome Tranmere Rovers to Rodney Parade on Saturday afternoon for the final game of the 2024-25 season (3pm).
The Exiles will be looking to end the campaign on a high in front of their home support, having not tasted victory in their last eight games.
Opposition Focus
Tranmere, currently 22nd in the League Two table, have endured a difficult 2024-25 campaign but have secured their place in the division for next season. The ‘Super White Army’ have won just 11 of their 45 league fixtures this season but come into Saturday’s game on a fine run of form, having lost just two of their last 12 games.
Rovers’ main talisman this season has been Omari Patrick. The versatile forward has netted 12 goals and provided six assists across all competitions since he arrived at Prenton Park from Sutton United last summer.
Striker Kristian Dennis has been similarly economical, contributing eight goals from 21 starts in League Two this season. At the heart of Tranmere’s defence, Jordan Turnbull has missed just two of the club’s league fixtures, starting all 43 of his EFL appearances in 2024-25.
In the dugout, interim boss Andy Crosby has been instrumental in steering his side away from the drop zone since he took the reins from Nigel Adkin at the end of February. Crosby has won five of his 12 games in charge, drawing five and losing just two.
Highlights of his short tenure include a 4-0 dismantling of Chesterfield and the dramatic 3-3 draw away to Accrington Stanley, where Rovers scored in the 78th, 87th and 101st minutes to rescue an unlikely point. Crosby has the highest win percentage (42%) of a Tranmere since Keith Hill in the 2020/21 season (45%).
Head to Head
The first ever meeting between the two clubs was a Football League Division Three fixture in March 1959, which County won 3-0 at Somerton Park.
The two sides met periodically from the 50s’ through to the 80s’ in Divisions Three and Four of the Football League but didn’t meet in the EFL until the 2014/15 season and have met 15 times since, including the 2018/19 League Two play-off final.
Tranmere hold the overall advantage in the history of the fixture with 15 wins to Newport’s 14. Rovers have also won the last three meetings between the two sides.
Memorable Encounter
County’s last win against Tranmere at Rodney Parade came in August 2022 but it was the 4-2 victory in February of that year that will be most-fondly remembered by the Amber Army.
Goals from Aaron Lewis and Finn Azaz and a second-half brace from Dom Telford handed the Exiles all three points as they moved up to 8th in the League Two table.
After a goalless first half, the game sprang into life after 49 minutes when Aaron Lewis gave County the lead as he met Telford’s lay-off and curled a wonderful effort into the corner of the Tranmere net.
Telford doubled the advantage from the penalty spot just before the hour-mark but Tranmere pulled one back through Josh Cogley’s close-range finish in the 65th minute.
Rovers drew level with five minutes remaining of the 90 when Kieron Morris’ wayward shot deflected in off the unfortunate Mickey Demetriou.
Newport re-gained the lead just minutes later through Finn Azaz’s spectacular, curling effort from 25 yards. Telford then put the result beyond doubt with his second of the game in stoppage time, tapping home after Ross Doohan could only parry Alex Fisher’s shot.
Shared Shirts
A number of players have pulled on the colours of both Newport County and Tranmere Rovers throughout the history of the two clubs.
Cameron Norman made approximately 100 competitive appearances for County across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons before departing for MK Dons. After spending last season at Stadium MK, he made the switch to Prenton Park last summer and has turned out 43 times for Rovers this campaign.
Declan Drysdale spent two years at Rodney Parade before departing for Tranmere in June of last year. The Birkenhead native, who came through the ranks at Rovers, has played ten times in his second stint with the club.
69-time Republic of Ireland international John Aldridge spent the first five years of his senior career with Newport, making 170 appearances for County between 1979 and 1984. After prolific spells with Oxford United, Liverpool and Real Sociedad, Aldridge spent the last years of his career with Tranmere. He spent the final two seasons of his playing career as player-manager of the club before taking on the permanent managerial role from 1998 to 2001.
Key Facts
Only two teams have scored less goals than Tranmere in League Two this season (41), while no team has conceded more than Newport (72).
Tranmere rank 22nd on away form in League Two, having won just three of their games on the road this season.
None of the last ten meetings between the two teams have finished goalless, with Tranmere winning each of the last three meetings by a 2-1 scoreline.
