Newport County will end the year with back-to-back League Two fixtures at Rodney Parade, beginning on Tuesday when they host Forest Green Rovers.
On Saturday, Newport dropped to 17th in the table, losing 2-0 at Wrexham, while the Green remain in the relegation zone, sitting 23rd after playing to a 0-0 draw with Gillingham.
Match preview
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After holding a potent Wrexham side off the scoresheet in the opening 45 minutes this past weekend, the Exiles came out flat in the second half, extending their winless run to three matches in this competition.
Graham Coughlan's men have not conceded a goal in the opening half of their last three League Two affairs but have given up five in the final 45 minutes in their three domestic encounters played this month.
Three of their next four matches in this competition will occur at home, where the Ironsides are unbeaten in their last three encounters in all competitions.
Newport have been particularly vulnerable out wide in recent outings, getting caught out in transition on numerous occasions, which have led to goals against them.
They had not lost a domestic encounter when scoring first in the opening four months of the season, but they have dropped five points in their last two domestic games when drawing first blood, losing 2-1 to Tranmere Rovers.
Newport have only triumphed once in their last five meetings with Forest Green in all competitions and have not beaten them in a home fixture since the 2020-21 League Two playoffs (2-0).
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Days after being permanently appointed as the full-time coach, player-manager Troy Deeney saw his side do something not seen since late November, keeping the opposition off the scoresheet for 90 minutes.
While that was a small step in the right direction, Deeney has plenty of work to do to improve this team's quality in front of goal, with Forest Green netting fewer than anyone at this stage of the competition (20).
A season after being relegated from League One, Forest Green are in danger of falling another level down the EFL pyramid, currently seven points back of Colchester United, and safety.
Since claiming a 1-0 triumph at Sutton United on matchday six, the Green have just one point from their previous six domestic encounters away from home, losing their last two competitive fixtures on the road by a combined score of 5-0.
All four of their domestic victories this season have come against teams currently in the bottom half of the table, with Rovers claiming just one point versus sides in a top-10 position.
Outside of a pair of 0-0 draws this season, all of their points in this competition have come when they were either in front at the interval or had scored the opening goal.
Team News
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Coughlan made two changes to his starting 11 from matchday 22 to 23, with Will Evans and Harry Charsley coming into the lineup against Wrexham in place of Lewis Payne and Seb Palmer-Houlden.
Evans, their leading goalscorer domestically this season (12 goals), has not scored in this competition since notching the opener in their defeat to Tranmere Rovers at the beginning of December with Omar Bogle netting the only strike in their previous home game, which ended in a 1-1 draw with Grimsby Town.
The last time they faced Forest Green, Evans had a brace, and Adam Lewis also scored, as Nick Townsend collected a clean sheet in a 3-0 away triumph against them last season.
Forest Green were missing Matty Taylor, Jacob Maddox and Marcel Lavinier because of hamstring problems last weekend, while Callum Morton returned after previously suffering a knock.
Jordon Garrick remains sidelined with a minor injury, Nathan Holland has struggled to return to full fitness, last featuring on November 7, while Fankaty Dabo and Reece Brown were back in the lineup after previously missing time due to a minor groin and hamstring strain, respectively.
After conceding five goals in his previous two competitive fixtures, Luke Daniels stopped all three of the Gillingham efforts fired his way for his first clean sheet of this competition since September 2 (1-0 win over Sutton United.
Newport County possible starting lineup:
Townsend; Clarke, Bennett, Delaney; McLoughlin, Morris, Wood, Evans; Waite; Bogle, Zanzala
Forest Green Rovers possible starting lineup:
Daniels; Bernard, Inniss, Moore-Taylor, Robson; Brown, Bendle, Bunker; McAllister, Stevens, Deeney
We say: Newport County 1-0 Forest Green Rovers
Neither side have a ton of creativity or imagination, but Forest Green have a lot less quality in the attacking third, and we believe Newport will eventually wear them down and win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
