Two League Two teams with little to fight for in the closing stages of the season meet at Rodney Parade on Tuesday, as Newport County play host to Accrington Stanley.
The Exiles' losing run continued in a 1-0 reverse at Grimsby Town on Saturday, while their visitors held Crewe Alexandra to a goalless stalemate at the Wham Stadium.
Match preview
© Reuters
A season that may best be remembered for their glamour FA Cup tie with Manchester United, the 2023-24 campaign is slowly petering out into insignificance for Newport County, whose solitary task between now and May is simply to rise into the top half of the rankings.
The Exiles' bid to break into the top 12 has been harmed by a dampening losing sequence in recent weeks, though, coming up short against Barrow, Colchester United and Crawley Town before heading to Grimsby Town on Saturday and failing to arrest their slump.
Danny Rose's 33rd-minute strike condemned Newport County to their fourth straight loss in League Two, one which leaves them in an unspectacular 15th spot in the table, 10 points outside the playoff positions but comfortably 17 clear of the relegation zone in the final straight.
Not since December 2019 have Tuesday's hosts experienced an identical losing streak in the fourth tier, and with defensive injuries rearing their ugly heads for Graham Coughlan and co, the curtain cannot come down on the 2023-24 season quickly enough for Newport County.
However, the Exiles have followed a win-loss pattern of home results since overcoming Swindon Town 2-1 at the start of February, and having been smashed 4-0 by Crawley Town in their most recent Rodney Parade affair, redemption could be the special item on the menu this week.
© Reuters
Similarly, Accrington Stanley are simply waiting for the final whistle to blow on an unremarkable campaign, which showed signs of promise during the autumn period but has since become a forgettable affair for those of a Reds persuasion.
Still finding their feet under John Doolan, who replaced the dismissed John Coleman last month, Accrington Stanley are yet to triumph since the 55-year-old penned a permanent contract towards the end of March, only amassing one point from their last three League Two showdowns.
Defeats to Sutton United and Morecambe preceded a low-key goalless draw with Crewe Alexandra over the weekend, a result which leaves the visitors down in 18th in the standings with a 13-point buffer to the drop zone, meaning that survival is all but assured with five games left to play.
While the threat of relegation is not looming, failure to push for an immediate return to League One after last year's relegation means that 2023-24 should not be looked back on fondly for Accrington Stanley, who head to Rodney Parade with just one win to show from their last 10 matches in the fourth tier.
However, the visitors crushed Newport County 3-0 at the Wham Stadium back in August, ending a four-match winless run against the Exiles since their first and only win away to the Welsh outfit to date, where Josh Windass was among the scorers in a 2-0 success.
Team News
© Reuters
Despite losing defender Scot Bennett to injury in the first half of their recent home thrashing versus Crawley Town, Newport County welcomed the skipper back to the first XI at the weekend, where Omar Bogle earned minutes as a second-half substitute.
However, Declan Drysdale and James Clarke are still missing for the hosts, who could shake up their left flank with recalls for Seb Palmer-Houlden and Matthew Bondswell given the tight turnaround time.
As far as Accrington Stanley are concerned, winger Jack Nolan only lasted until half time in the draw with Crewe Alexandra before being taken off at the break for Joe Pritchard, but the change appeared to be tactical in nature from Doolan.
Matt Lowe was also offered a few minutes of action off the bench upon his return from injury, while Rosaire Longelo and Jay Rich-Baghuelou are also running on the grass again as they recuperate from their own issues.
Neither man will be ready for the trek to Wales, though, and Doolan should use the opportunity to test out some of Accrington's younger troops with nothing significant on the line.
Newport County possible starting lineup:
Townsend; Baker, Bennett, Jameson; Bright, Evans, Charsley, Wildig, Palmer-Houlden; Jephcott, Zanzala
Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:
Vitek; O'Brien, Hills, Gubbins, Shipley; Martin, Woods; Pritchard, Henderson, Whalley; Leigh
We say: Newport County 1-1 Accrington Stanley
The form of both Newport and Accrington is that of two sides with only pride at stake between now and the end of the season, so the shackles could either come off or the two sides will choose to expend little energy in Tuesday's bottom-half showdown.
The latter scenario is not beyond the realm of possibility due to the limited recovery time, and we cannot pick a clear winner between the two outfits on this occasion, so an uneventful stalemate could be on the cards here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
