Newport County will look to continue their wonderful league run when they travel to Lewes on Saturday.
The Exiles, fresh from their FA Trophy success last weekend, will be looking to continue their quest for promotion from the Blue Square South in the knowledge that they have the best defensive record in the top seven tiers of English football.
Only Leeds United and Chelsea can match the eight goals in 17 league matches that County have shipped this term, but they will be wary of their south-coast hosts: Lewes are the only side to have scored twice against Newport this season – those goals coming in the 2-2 draw at Spytty Park back in August.
But since that third match of the season, the fortunes of the respective sides have been markedly different; while County have been marching to the top of the league, Lewes have struggled and currently lie two points from safety, second-bottom of the Blue Square South.
They posses a reasonable home record: two wins, four draws but only seven goals scored and County goalkeeper, Glyn Thompson, is certainly hoping to add to the 10 clean sheets they’ve achieved this season: “We’ve made ourselves very hard to play against because we defend as a team; we’re proud of the record and we want to keep it going.”
Elsewhere in the division, second-placed Dover entertain third-placed Thurrock, and should Dover continue their slump in form, a County victory at Lewes could extend their eight-point lead at the summit of the league.
By Alex Winter
