Newport County return to Rodney Parade this Saturday (12 September) as they take on Fleetwood Town.
County will be looking to build on their latest result following last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Northampton Town.
Here is everything you need to know about the opposition.
The Opposition
Fleetwood finished 15th last season, securing a mid-table finish after a varied run of results, finishing the season with three draws in three games.
The Fishermen did get to the third round of the FA Cup after defeating Luton Town and Barnet in the previous rounds before being knocked out by Port Vale.
However, Fleetwood did get knocked out of the first round of the EFL Cup following a penalty shootout defeat to League One side Barnsley.
So far this season, Fleetwood are sixth in the league and undefeated. The Fishermen have also progressed to the third round of the EFL Cup.
The History
Fleetwood were originally founded in 1908; however, there is evidence to show that football was first played in Fleetwood in 1883 under the name Fleetwood Rangers.
The club enjoyed success during the 1923/24 season as they won the Lancashire Combination title, but it was only four years later that Fleetwood had to resign from the league due to financial difficulties.
However, in the same year, Fleetwood returned under the name Fleetwood Windsor Villa and saw early success as they won the Lancashire Combination Cup three times in a row.
The Fishermen stayed in the Lancashire Combination for many years until 1968, when they became founding members of the Northern Premier League.
However, despite winning the Northern Premier League Cup in 1971, further financial troubles hit the club, with Fleetwood folding in 1976.
The club came back for a third time in 1977 and reached an FA Vase final at Wembley in 1985 as well as becoming champions of the Northern Premier League Premier Division in 1991. But again, financial troubles saw the club fold in 1996.
Fleetwood Wanderers was then formed in 1997 and in 2002 they would rename themselves to Fleetwood Town. The Fishermen then achieved a remarkable run through non-league football to reach the English Football League.
Fleetwood would remain in League Two for two seasons and would win promotion through the playoffs, where they beat Burton Albion 1-0 at Wembley.
The Fishermen would remain in League One for ten seasons until they faced relegation in 2024 where they have remained in League Two.
The Manager
The current manager of the Fishermen is Matt Lawlor.
Lawlor first joined Fleetwood in 2023 as a caretaker manager, where he managed one game which resulted in a victory.
Another caretaker stint was given to Lawlor at Fleetwood the following year where he earned another win.
The Englishman then managed Waterford as a caretaker manager, where his team won five out of nine games.
However, as of the 26th of January, Lawlor has yet again taken charge of Fleetwood and was offered a permanent role in March.
Ones To Watch
Mark Helm is a player who can play out from the middle of the pitch and create goals, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists in all competitions last season. Helm has already managed two assists this season in a 4-0 win over Shrewsbury Town, proving that he can be a handful for the opposition.
Another player to look out for is Ronan Coughlan. The Irishman has scored two and provided an assist in his last three games as he has fought his way into the starting eleven. The striker will be looking to continue where he left off this Saturday.