Match preview: York City v Newport County (From York Press)

Match preview: York City v Newport County

11:15am Friday 13th April 2012 in News By Dave Flett, Sports reporter

NEWPORT County will arrive at York City tomorrow looking for their first away win in the Blue Square Bet Premier for seven matches.

The Exiles have taken just three points from a possible 18 on the road since winning 3-2 at Gateshead on January 28.

That result also represented only the third league victory County have managed on their travels all campaign, although they did surprise Fleetwood back in October with a 4-1 away win that remains the Cod Army’s last Blue Square Bet Premier defeat.

The only other occasion this term that Newport have returned to South Wales with maximum points came during a 4-0 thrashing of Hayes & Yeading United.

County should have added play-off challengers Kidderminster as a fourth scalp, however, on Easter Monday.

The visitors led 2-0 thanks to an effort from Jake Reid after just 11 seconds and Sam Foley’s 12th goal of the season, making him the club’s joint-top marksman with midfielder Danny Rose, who joined Fleetwood at the turn of the year.

But Harries substitute Nick Wright pulled a goal back on 86 minutes and then went on to claim a morale-sapping hat-trick with two further strikes during injury time.

Left-back Andy Sandell missed that match through injury and is expected to still be sidelined tomorrow afternoon but captain Gary Warren could return to the heart of the Exiles’ defence after being rested by manager Justin Edinburgh at Kidderminster.

Newport’s goals against record of 60 conceded remains the best in the bottom half of the table bar that of Telford.

A win for County tomorrow, coupled with defeat for Hayes & Yeading United at home to Mansfield, would also preserve the former European Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-finalists’ Blue Square Bet Premier status for another season.

Match facts

Newport County make their second Conference visit to Bootham Crescent.

City won the corresponding fixture last term 2-1 with Michael Rankine (penalty) and Jamie Reed on the scoresheet.

The line-up on April 9, 2011, was: Ingham, Parslow, McGurk, C Smith, Meredith, Darville, J Smith (Mackin), Kerr, Reed (Chambers), Rankine, Till (Carruthers).

The Welsh club made 15 Football League trips to York, winning twice and drawing once. The biggest of City’s 12 wins was 5-1 in 1964/5.

It happened on April 14

1937: A 4-2 home win over Accrington Stanley in Division Three North with Sam Gledhill and Fred Scott each scoring twice.

1952: Billy Fenton scored in a 1-1 draw at Gateshead and City were mid-table in the Northern Section.

1962: Oldham Athletic were beaten 4-1 at Bootham Crescent with Gerry Francis, Peter Wragg, Norman Wilkinson and Jimmy Weir on the scoresheet. The attendance was 5,279 and City were fifth in Division Four.

1984: Keith Houchen scored on his debut in a 4-1 win at Aldershot. John MacPhail, John Byrne and Alan Pearce were the other marksmen and City were clear leaders of the Fourth Division.

2001: A 2-1 home win over Halifax Town in Division Three (League Two) with Lee Bullock and Lee Nogan the scorers.

The crowd was 3,465.

Compiled by David Batters