Saturday 18th January 2020.
Newport County v Swindon Town.
County go into this game having taken just seven points from the latest eleven league games, thirty three possible points. After ten league matches without victory, victory at Scunthorpe was achieved. Since losing the league game at the County Ground between both clubs in September, Swindon have scored in fifteen of sixteen league matches played since. Since gaining seven successive league victories between October and December, Swindon have won three of six since, drawing two of the others. Their leading goalscorer this season with twenty three goals, Eoin Doyle, returned to Bradford City last week.
The pitch will no doubt be a mess after this weeks rain and Friday evenings Rugby, the first of four games on the pitch in five days.


Meetings between both clubs since County's return to the Football League

2014 / 2015:
Newport County 1-2 Swindon Town.
Johnstones Paint Trophy.
This was the first meeting between the two clubs in almost twenty seven years.
Swindon were ahead just before the break from Jon Obika. Andy Williams put them 2-0 ahead around sixty two minutes.
County's goal, which came in the final ten minutes, was scored by Yan Klukowski, his first goal for the club.
Aaron Collins made his senior debut for County as a first half sub, replacing Mike Flynn.
This was Joe Days sixth game in goal for County having joined them in the summer of 2014 and this was his first defeat in goal for County.

2015 / 2016:
Newport County 1-1 Swindon Town. Swindon won 7-6 via penalties.
Johnstones Paint Trophy.
Trailing at the break from Anton Rodgers, Aaron Collins got the equalizer for County after coming off the bench early in the second half. Coincidentally, it was Collins who missed County's seventh penalty in the shoot out.

2017 / 2018:
Swindon Town 0-1 Newport County.
This was the first league meeting between the two clubs in just under thirty years.
This was County's first victory at Swindon in sixty two years.
The games only goal came from Ben Tozer in the final quarter.
After twenty games, both teams were now just outside the play-offs.

Newport County 2-1 Swindon.
First half goals from Padraig Amond and Ben Tozer gave County a comfortable lead at the break.
The Robins reduced the arrears in the third quarter from Paul Mullin and had Rollin Menayese sent off midway through the second half. County were now ten points (eleven with goal difference) outside the play-offs with only five to play while Swindon were just three points outside.
The was only the third time County had done the league double over Swindon.

2018 / 2019:
Swindon Town 1-0 Newport County.
EFL Trophy.
The games only goal was a late penalty from Mike Doughty.
Despite this defeat, County eventually got to R2 while Swindon didn't get past the group stage.

Swindon 2-1 Newport County.
County went through a spell of conceding goals in the first few minutes and this was one of them, trailing after sixty four seconds from Michael Doughty..
Swindon should have had the game sealed before the break, such was their dominance.
Padraig Amond leveled for County just after the break before Swindon got the winner in the final ten minutes from Kaiyne Woolery. County remained in the play-offs after twenty one games while Swindon were four points outside.

Newport County 0-0 Swindon.
Both clubs were still in with a chance of the play-offs come this match in April. Both Josh Labadie and Jamile Matt suffered injuries during the first half and were replaced. With six games remaining, County were five points from the play-off positions (six taking goal difference into account) while Swindon were three points adrift of the play-offs with five to play.

2019 / 2020:
Swindon 0-2 Newport County.
Mark O'Brien put County ahead with around eight minutes of the first half remaining, headed into the net from a corner. Jamille Matt got the second with around nine minutes remaining. Swindon had now beaten County only once in the latest five league matches between the clubs. After eleven matches each, both clubs were on twenty points.

Managers:
Newport County - Mike Flynn.
Swindon Town - Richie Wellens.

Head to head:
Flynn 1
Wellens 1
Draws 1

Mike Flynn's record as manager v Swindon:
Wins 3
Draws 1
Losses 2 (one EFL Trophy)

Some of the former / current players who have played for both County and Swindon Town:
Kenny Stroud
Michael Smith
George Barker
Charlie Griffin
Ashan Holgate
Miles Storey
Ben Tozer
Sid Nelson
Frank Nouble
Tyler Reid
Danny Rose

Afraid we won't see Tyler Reid - he's on a loan at Wrexham expiring Saturday. Doesn't seem to have shone at either club.

George Street-Bridge wrote:Afraid we won't see Tyler Reid - he's on a loan at Wrexham expiring Saturday. Doesn't seem to have shone at either club.

Who do posters think we will see of the new signings/loanees against Swindon? and who will be dropped from the Scunthorpe game to accommodate them ?
I presume Baker will start as the only fit recognised RB. Suspect the others will start on the bench, if deemed fit enough.
Maybe they will start against Leicester U21s Tues? If indeed the pitch will be playable by then

I agree only Baker will start, but Gorman and Waters are both cup-tied in the Trophy.

George Street-Bridge wrote:I agree only Baker will start, but Gorman and Waters are both cup-tied in the Trophy.

OK. Never considered that

I'm assuming you can be cup-tied and there isn't another quirk in the rules!

Swindon fans hoping it's called off they have a few injuries if willmot not fit I'd like to see green on bench or playing

George Street-Bridge wrote:I'm assuming you can be cup-tied and there isn't another quirk in the rules!

I have just read the rules and it states that a player can only play for ONE club per season in the competition..Rule 7.13 ,so they are cup tied if they have played for their parent club in the group stages

Why are contributors talking about cup tied for a league game?

Frank Nouble 3 wrote:Why are contributors talking about cup tied for a league game?

In reply to "Maybe they will start against Leicester U21s Tues".

Frank Nouble 3 wrote:Why are contributors talking about cup tied for a league game?

Probably because I posed the question whether the new loanees would start playing in the League game or cup game?

OLDCROMWELLIAN wrote:

Frank Nouble 3 wrote:Why are contributors talking about cup tied for a league game?

Probably because I posed the question whether the new loanees would start playing in the League game or cup game?

Okay cheers

The Dragons are playing on Friday. I am sure that the pitch will be bad. How much rain has Newport had this week?

Snowman wrote:The Dragons are playing on Friday. I am sure that the pitch will be bad. How much rain has Newport had this week?

I think we know that the pitch is more or less wrecked. However, I believe that the game will be on unless the rate of water falling from the sky exceeds the rate of the capacity the pitch drains have to cope with it . Simply put , until it gets relaid the playing surface we enjoyed at the start of the season has been destroyed by 3 teams sharing 1 pitch. I think it may have coped with 2 but not 3. The cost to relay will be very large again. About £400k for a pitch likely to last 3-4 years and £750k for one to last about 10 are one scenario I have heard talked about. I’m not sure whether such costs are sustainable for the teams there but I know that obviously the Dragons and County are the contributors.

lowandhard wrote:

Snowman wrote:The Dragons are playing on Friday. I am sure that the pitch will be bad. How much rain has Newport had this week?

I think we know that the pitch is more or less wrecked. However, I believe that the game will be on unless the rate of water falling from the sky exceeds the rate of the capacity the pitch drains have to cope with it . Simply put , until it gets relaid the playing surface we enjoyed at the start of the season has been destroyed by 3 teams sharing 1 pitch. I think it may have coped with 2 but not 3. The cost to relay will be very large again. About £400k for a pitch likely to last 3-4 years and £750k for one to last about 10 are one scenario I have heard talked about. I’m not sure whether such costs are sustainable for the teams there but I know that obviously the Dragons and County are the contributors.

What is worrying is that the WRU might take the view that this problem might be easily solved with the laying of a 4G pitch. Not this time but in 2023?