The Official Newport County Match Thread (Sponsored by the Return of Brad "for all your feelgood needs?")

After 16 days without a game, a fully ludicrous 119 days without a win in the League, and 126 days without one at home, we welcome Newport County to Priestfield aiming to do the double over the last team we actually took three points off way back on a rainy day in September. The Exiles may be bottom of the league, but they've still managed to win three times since we beat them, showing just how poor our form has been since summer faded.

Since our defeat against the Swine on New Year's Day, rumours have come and gone in relation to potential new signings, with the only movement of any sort being Cirino's contract extension, the departure of some of the yoof on loan moves and Ben Clark out to Sheppey United permanently. Meanwhile, the Exiles have rolled the dice to try and retain their Football League status, no less than five new signings have arrived at Rodney Parade this month including two forwards.

Gills have a full squad to choose from today with the exception of the injured Khumbeni and Wyllie. On that basis, if anyone spots Euan Williams today, be sure to take a photo. As for the formation and line-up, who knows? If we take to the field with one lone striker again, I will begin to have serious doubts about our ability to even finish top half this season. Watching any of our current lot running around up top 40 yards clear of the nearest blue shirt is a fundamentally depressing sight.

Slightly boosting an atmosphere that's beginning to sour through shit form, indifferent performance, lack of transfer activity, poor customer service and missing ticket announcements is the return of Brad, although the recent publication of accounts have shown exactly how reliant we have become on his family's wonga. For that momentous outlay we have currently achieved an eight place rise up the division in three years. What a return on investment.

Head to head remains horrible, our win in September being our only victory over Newport since they returned to the Football League, so the record sits 42 to 29 in their favour. Consequently, there is no footage of Gills victorious at Priestfield against the Exiles so here's us tubbing another South Wales side back in 1990-91, goals from O'Connor, Crown, Walker and Docker giving us a 4-0 win in the November gloom.

So yeah. A win. Please. Don't care how, off the ref's gonads in injury time will suffice. Anything less and the natives will likely turn a little ugly. We've two more games against the lesser lights after this and wins breed confidence, realistically the chances of relegation are remote, but if we don't take minimum six points from the next nine the chances of even a play-off shout will be equally so.

Enjoy the game and...

COYG!!!