Setting the scene…
Tranmere Rovers will aim to make it two League Two wins on the spin on Saturday afternoon when they welcome Newport County to Prenton Park.
Micky Mellon’s side are now five games unbeaten in the fourth tier following last weekend’s 2-0 win at Carlisle United.
In a dramatic second-half at Brunton Park, Rovers keeper Scott Davies denied Jamie Devitt from 12 yards with 15 minutes to play.
And Tranmere capitalised, with Tom Parkes turning into his own net on 80 minutes before Paul Mullin thumped in a spectacular drive to confirm three points for the away side.
By contrast, third place Newport, who occupy the final automatic promotion spot in the division, suffered a heavy home defeat to Yeovil Town, losing 6-0 in front of their own supporters at Rodney Parade.
In a afternoon not to remember for the Exiles, Michael Flynn’s South Wales outfit also had Robbie Willmott red carded.
The Exiles season so far:
Prior to their home defeat to Yeovil, Newport had collected 16 points from their opening seven outings.
Attaining early victories against Crewe Alexandra, Cambridge United, Notts County, Grimsby Town, Port Vale and Oldham Athletic, Flynn’s side have enjoyed a positive start to the campaign.
Last time out, first-half goals from Yoann Arquin, Jordan Green and Diallang Jaiyesimi had Darren Way’s Glovers in control.
Green scored his second after the break, which was followed up by goals from Olufela Olomola and Carl Dickinson, before Willmott was dismissed late in the game.
One to watch
Irish winger Padraig Amond is Newport’s top scorer in all competitions this season, with three goals to his name so far.
Capped by his country at U21 level, Amond began his career at Shamrock Rovers, progressing through the youth ranks to turn out 62 times, finding the back of the net on 15 occasions for the Dublin-based club, while also spending time on loan with Kildare County as a young professional.
In 2010, Amond signed for Sligo Rovers, scoring 17 goals in 27 appearances - form which attracted interest from Portuguese side Pacos de Ferreria in the September of the same year.
In August 2011, Amond made his first move to England, signing for Accrington Stanley on a season-long loan deal.
After a successful loan stay, he signed permanently a year later, making 36 appearances in his one term in East Lancashire.
In August 2013, Amond signed for Morecambe, spending two years at the Globe Arena under Jim Bentley’s management.
Grimsby was the next port of call, with Amond netting 30 goals in 40 league games to fire Town to promotion from the National League in 2015/16.
He signed for Hartlepool in June 2016. His 14 goals couldn’t prevent the Pools’ relegation from League Two in May 2017.
Amond then signed for Newport in the August last year. He scored 15 goals last term, including an FA Cup strike to open the scoring in a 1-1 draw against Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur.
The referee
East Yorkshire referee Carl Boyeson will officiate Tranmere Rovers’ home game with Newport County at Prenton Park.
Boyeson is yet to take charge of a game involving Micky Mellon’s side this season, but he has dished out 25 yellow cards from seven games this term.
His last game at Prenton Park came on November 29, 2014, when Rovers beat Portsmouth 3-1 in League Two.
Ticket information
Tickets for Saturday’s clash with high-flying Newport County are available through the Club’s official ticket website.
For full information on how to buy, please click here. By clicking through, you can also see ticket information for our upcoming games in League Two.
Match coverage
Can’t make it to Prenton Park for the visit of Newport County? then don’t worry as we have you covered!
Full match commentary of the fixture will be exclusively available live from Rovers’ home ground!
You can now sign up to Tranmere Rovers’ iFollow, which allows access to extended highlights and interviews with manager Micky Mellon and a player, after the game.
To sign up, click here
Alternatively, you can follow the action through our social media channels below, with full text coverage during the fixture, followed by a match report.
Twitter: @tranmererovers
Facebook: @trfcofficial
Instagram: @tranmererovers