Newport County will be aiming to snap a three-game winless run in League Two when they welcome Gillingham to Rodney Parade on Tuesday night.
The hosts, currently 16th in the table, come into the contest off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Doncaster, while 18th-placed Gillingham picked up a morale-boosting 1-0 victory over Morecambe at the weekend.
Match preview
© Imago
Newport endured a miserable end to 2024, losing their final two matches of the year, and the new year did little to lift their fortunes, as they failed to win any of their first four games in 2025, suffering three defeats and managing just one draw.
However, February initially brought renewed hope for Nelson Jardim's side, as they won their first four fixtures of the month, but their form has since tailed off again, with a draw and back-to-back defeats in their last three outings—conceding three goals in each of their last two games while failing to score in any of those matches.
That slump has seen the Exiles now closer to the drop zone – they sit 14 points clear of the bottom two – than the playoff zone – with 15 points between them and seventh-placed Crewe Alexandra.
Despite their current struggles, Newport will take confidence from their record against Gillingham – the South Wales outfit have never lost to the Gills in six previous meetings across all competitions, winning all five league encounters and edging past them on penalties in a League Cup tie.
© Imago
Gillingham, however, will fancy their chances of finally breaking that unwanted streak, with the visitors having lost just one of their last five matches, and buoyed by their weekend win over Morecambe.
That said, John Coleman's side endured a wretched run before their recent victory, going 13 games without a win since mid-December—picking up six draws and suffering seven defeats.
While they may see this as an opportunity to claim their first league points against Newport, the Gills' away form is a major concern, having failed to win any of their last seven league matches on the road, recording four draws and three losses.
Adding to their struggles, Gillingham have never scored at Rodney Parade, suffering 2-0 and 1-0 defeats on their previous two visits, and overcoming this psychological hurdle will be key if they are to return to Kent with a positive result.
Team News
© Imago
Newport remain without on-loan forward Kyle Hudlin, who is sidelined until April with a calf injury, while midfielder Aaron Wildig is ruled out for the season.
Courtney Baker-Richardson, suspended for the defeat to Doncaster, is expected to return to the starting XI as Jardim looks to inject some much-needed firepower into his misfiring attack.
Gillingham, meanwhile, have no injury or suspension concerns, leaving Coleman with a full squad to choose from.
Robbie McKenzie, who netted the winner against Morecambe, is expected to start in midfield alongside Armani Little as the Gills look to build on their weekend success.
Newport County possible starting lineup:
Townsend; Jameson, Clarke, Baker; Evans, Martin, McLoughlin, Thomas; Antwi, Kamwa; Baker-Richardson
Gillingham possible starting lineup:
Morris; Smith, Ehmer, Gale; Hutton, McKenzie, Little, Clark; Nevitt, Gbode, Hawkins
We say: Newport County 1-1 Gillingham
Newport's lack of goals in recent matches is a major concern, particularly as two of their last three scoreless outings have come at Rodney Parade.
The return of Baker-Richardson could provide a much-needed boost in attack, but it may not be enough for the Exiles to claim all three points against a Gillingham that have shown improved defensive resilience in recent weeks, which is why we expect them to hold out for a draw.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
