Newport aim to avenge Play-Off defeat as they host Tranmere Rovers

The last time Newport County and Tranmere Rovers met was the 2019 Play-Off final – Rovers came out on top after a Connor Jennings goal in the dying seconds of the game that day, but Michael Flynn’s men will be looking for revenge.

Both sides have had inconsistencies at the beginning of the season, especially the visitors, who have won just one of their opening five matches.

Rovers boss Michael Jackson has had tough shoes to fill after Micky Mellon, the man who took the Whites from Non-League to League One, left for Dundee United this summer.

After a difficult start they are unbeaten in three, including wins over Liverpool Under-23s and Scunthorpe United.

Jackson spoke to Tranmere’s website yesterday, and is under no illusions that County will provide a stern test for his resurgent outfit.

“Newport is always a tough place to go. I know the manager really well and used to play with him at Blackpool. You’ve got to be physically and mentally prepared when you go to Newport.

“We know it’s going to be a tough game, but it’s a great challenge. They’re the sort of games as a player and manager that you want to be going into. You have to take on that challenge.” 

As he alluded to, Newport and Flynn always provide a tough physical challenge to any visiting opponent. But this season, Flynn has incorporated a back three which has excelled, especially in an earlier victory over Mansfield, and the speed demon that is Tristan Abrahams giving them dimension that they lacked last season.

They have collected ten of a possible 15 points at the start of their Sky Bet League Two season, and a win could put them top of the table depending on other results from Morecambe and Cambridge United.

County will be without forward Ryan Taylor due to a long term hamstring injury, with midfielder Lewis Collins unavailable due an injury picked up for Wales Under-21s.

Tranmere will be without two unnamed first team players after they contracted COVID-19, with more of their squad being forced to self-isolate. It remains to be seen what the remainder of the squad will be.

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