The Official Newport County Match Thread (Sponsored by Putting for Par “for all your bogey avoidance needs”)

A supremely comfortable 1-0 home win against Notts County last time out saw Gills equal the club record for longest unbeaten run in the Football League, leaving Gareth Ainsworth's men undefeated in their last 20 matches since a defeat to...ah, yes...Newport County. All that now stands between us and the setting of a new club record is to avoid defeat at a side currently sat 22nd in the league, yep...it's Newport County again. Ain't football fun?

The Exiles seem fairly comfortable with 22nd position, it's where they finished the last campaign after a dreadful late run of just three points from a possible 27 saw their position in mid-table obscurity rapidly eroded, although insufficiently to cause real alarm even with Carlisle's late surge.

Since then, David Hughes has joined as manager from Manchester United where he'd fulfilled the role of Professional Development Phase coach (no idea) and has overseen significant change in playing personnel. Thirteen players were released at the end of June (although it's notable that only one has since found another home in the Football League) with another two squad members departing since. Six permanent signings supplemented by five loans from higher up the pyramid have been brought in to fill the gaps. Nathan Opuku, on loan from Leicester, seems a useful signing up front having previously spent time on loan in the Belgian top flight, he's already off the mark for the campaign alongside fellow forward signing Ged Garner who arrived from Barrow. There's the ubiquitous "curse of the ex" in the shape of former Gills' youngster Matt Baker to consider, the 22-year old defender spent a decade at Priestfield from the age of eight and will make his 100th Football League appearance should he make Newport's squad on Saturday.

Newport started the season by taking four points from their first two games before embarking on a run of five successive defeats, although only one of these has been by more than one goal. A late fightback at home to near(ish) neighbours Bristol Rovers proved insufficient to stop the rot, however, an 87th minute goal from the ever-dangerous Courtney Baker-Richardson at Tranmere last Saturday earned County their first point in over a month and eased the pressure just a little.

Gills' squad for this fixture is an unknown quantity. Injuries for both Little and Coleman resulted in their absence against Notts County, their central midfield spots being ably filled by Jonny Williams and Bradley Dack, the former apparently having one of his best games in a Gills shirt. Whether our parade of injured, not-quite-readies and nearly-theres will be available this weekend is, as always, known to just the management. Apart from Connor Masterson (inj) and Garath McCleary (susp), any and all of the squad could play some part in South Wales on Saturday with the promising youngsters we've seen in recent weeks pushing to fill any gaps on the bench.

The head to head is a thing of horror. For a club that most would argue are smaller in stature than Gills, Newport seem to hold us completely in their sway, winning 36 of the 81 fixtures between the sides before their dissolution (Gills with 28 wins) and all six of the League meetings since their reformation. To say we owe them one is a grave understatement.

For the corresponding fixture in March, I dug out the only available footage of Gills winning against Newport, home or away, a 0-3 victory at Somerton Park back in March 1985. As a superstitious sort, and given how Coleman's side rolled over to have their tummies tickled inside the first half hour of that fixture, I'll go for a different tack, so here's a famous Gills win from the same date as the forthcoming fixture, albeit 22 years previous, and one which still lives in the memory of the majority of the 11,418 that saw it, a modern all-seated club record attendance at Priestfield.

Gills will be backed by another excellent away support, the first 400 seats being sold out a week in advance of the game and another 130+ having sold since the secondary away stand was opened up behind the goal. The weather forecast suggests reasonable temperatures but also the chance of showers, although not being a snowflake like the majority of away commentators on the roofless nature of the Brian Moore Stand, I won’t be complaining at getting a little moist should Gills get the win…

I won’t lie, it was FOMO that resulted in me buying tickets for this game, however, even knowing that historical results have zero bearing on the future outcome, there remains a big part of me that’s nervous for this one despite our terrific start to the season, our unbeaten run and Newport’s poor overall form. I’ve been here too many times before to get carried away and the omens seem to be accruing. Not only are Newport a bogey side, but they’re also the last team we lost to, while Herr Jnr continues to carry an unenviable Gills record of just five wins from 27, her last win of any sort being Barrow at home last season, after which it all went a bit tits…*gulp*. Thankfully, the result on Saturday will not be governed by my personal neuroses, it’s all down to the tactics and drive imparted by Gareth and his management team and the hard work of the Gills players, neither of which are in doubt.

Safe travels if you’re one of us making the trip this weekend, enjoy the game and…

COYG!!!