Newport County and Harrogate Town hope new faces can reignite their challenge for the play-offs

It has been a long time since my last journey through the stony paving from Newport train station to Rodney Parade.

The Exiles have gone through so much since I last covered them in March. A play-off push, Kevin Ellison’s semi-final antics and an agonising defeat at the hands of Morecambe in the final.

A new man in James Rowberry is now at the helm after Mike Flynn left by mutual consent and they have done remarkably well.

Dom Telford, who in the previous season scored just one goal, is a serial goalscorer and is adored by the Amber Army. His average of a goal a game is the best ratio across the four divisions.

Newport’s opponents this weekend are Harrogate Town, another side who huffed and puffed at the beginning of the season. Simon Weaver’s men sit 13th in the league, five points behind County, and are also hoping to enter the play-off picture.

New Faces

Both sides have been busy in the January transfer market since it re-opened a fortnight ago.

County have brought in Coventry’s Josh Pask on a loan deal with James Waite signing this week from Cymru Premier side Penybont. Manager Rowberry was extremely complimentary about the winger after his arrival, speaking to the club website.

“I’ve known James [Waite] since he was 13 when I worked with him at Cardiff for eight years. He’s a local lad who knows what it means to play for our club. He’ll add value and excitement to our attacking areas of the pitch. I’m delighted to welcome James to our club.”

Harrogate have added Football League experience to their ranks with 36-year-old Leon Legge joining the club as well as several loan deals for players in Huddersfield Town academy due to their locality.

“We are really delighted to bring Leon [Legge] in. We believe he will add aggression and leadership to our group. It remains so important to win the first ball in both boxes and we will be asking Leon to do that for us. Off the pitch, I know the lads will benefit from his professionalism, knowledge and dedication to the game.”

Head-to-head

The sides have met three times since the Sulphurites were promoted, with each side winning once and drawing once.

Earlier this season, Newport and Harrogate met in Yorkshire as the game finished as a 2-2 draw. Scot Bennett and Robbie Willmott’s goals were cancelled out by Jack Muldoon and Luke Armstrong’s finishes before half-time.

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