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Kick off 15:00 (UK)

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17 March 2018 Venue Rodney Parade Attendance

Kick off 15:00 (UK)

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English Football League - League Two

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Match Previews

MATCH PREVIEW: NEWPORT COUNTY AFC V LUTON TOWN

16 March 2018

The Hatters head to south Wales tomorrow looking to get back to winning ways against Newport County AFC, after a tough run of games in Sky Bet League Two that has seen Nathan Jones' side pick up one win in their last six.

However, just two of Town's final nine league games of the season are against teams in the top nine as Nathan Jones' side aim to re-establish their strong position in the automatic promotion places, buoyed by Tuesday night's fightback from 2-0 down at half-time to take a point from the trip to Coventry City.

A win tomorrow could lift the Town back to the summit of the fourth tier, depending on how Accrington get on against Forest Green Rovers.
After two consecutive 22nd placed finishes, the Exiles currently sit in 11th place – just six points off the top seven – with ten games to go.

A side reenergised under former player Mike Flynn, the 37-year-old saw his side get off to a good start to the current campaign, which they maintained until mid-January, since when they have only won one match in their last eight. That victory came at Yeovil Town last Saturday, but they did take Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur to a replay at Wembley in the FA Cup fourth round, having already knocked out Leeds United.

THE GAFFER SAYS:

On the Newport test: "It's an extremely tough one. It's always a tough game when you go to Newport for all sorts of reasons. We have no doubt we're going to get another stern test on Saturday. We'll be ready for it.

"The games are coming thick and fast which we kind of like because it was good to get the Accrington result out the way and bounce back. We haven't lost two on the spin all season, so it was good to do that [get the draw on Tuesday]. Now we build, we finish the month strongly and then we go into the final furlongs in good spirits.

On Newport's pitch: "It's a lot better, trust me on that. It's a Desso pitch, because they know two teams are going to play on there. So how it's held up I don't know, you can see from the video there's grass on there, which is a massive improvement from last year, because there wasn't. We cant be concerned with that. We have to make sure we pick a side that can go there in whatever conditions and get the result that we need."

On Town and Newport's form: "We haven't won in four games either, so something might have to give. But it's just one of those things, they've had a lot of games.

"They had the FA Cup game, pretty similar to us. Teams at this level and the level above have dips every now and then, but it's how you come through them. We have got to make sure we come through it slightly better than they do."

Click here to read what Jones had to say on Scott Cuthbert returning from injury, as well as his thoughts on international call-ups for Flynn Downes and Luke Gambin.

WHO?

A fairytale ending to last season saw the Exiles survive in the final minute of their last game when former Hatter Mark O'Brien curled home in superb fashion to ensure Newport beat Notts County and remained in the EFL. Defensively robust and good going forward, the architect of County's late season burst, Mike Flynn, put together a strong side in the summer with shrewd pieces of business that have seen him strengthen the spine of his team.

WHEN AND WHERE?

Kick-off is at 3pm on Saturday 17th March at Rodney Parade.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for tomorrow's clash are available for purchase from the LTFC Ticket Office until 2:30pm today, but will also be available on the day at Rodney Parade. Tickets bought at Newport have no extra cost.

PLAYED BEFORE?

Of the 62 meetings between the teams, the Hatters have won 31, drawn 16 and lost 15. The last of our meetings came back in September, when the Town ran out 3-1 winners at Kenilworth Road.

FOLLOW THE ACTION

You can follow the Hatters' Twitter feed on @LutonTown, or stay up to date on the LTFC website in the match centre. iFollow Hatters subscribers can tune in for Simon Pitts' match commentary, whilst international subscribers can watch the game live. You can subscribe to iFollow Hatters by clicking here... and supporters who are overseas can buy an individual match pass for the live video stream via the Match Centre.

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Match Reports

MATCH REPORT & GALLERY: NEWPORT COUNTY AFC 1-1 LUTON TOWN

Town come from behind to take a point at Rodney Parade

17 March 2018

Town fought back from a goal down to take a point against Newport County this afternoon – a result which sees the Hatters maintain second spot in Sky Bet League Two.

Josh Sheehan scored after two minutes to give the Exiles an early lead, before Dan Potts' header brought the game level midway through the first half.
Nathan Jones made two changes from the side that drew in midweek against Coventry, with Luke Gambin and Elliot Lee coming in for Flynn Downes and Harry Cornick.

The Hatters got off to the worst possible start after County's Sheehan put the hosts in front early on. Aaron Collins sprinted down the left before cutting past Jack Stacey, then shooting from an angle which Marek Stech parried away, but Josh Sheehan was there to follow it up 12 yards out, firing it through a crowd to put the hosts 1-0 up.

The Hatters came very close to responding six minutes later as Luke Gambin's neat touch to Elliot Lee gave the striker space to run at the Newport defence. The forward got an effort away from 16 yards – it deflected off a Newport defender, Danny Hylton looked to get a touch but Joe Day did well to palm it out for a corner.

Alan Sheehan – making his 400th career appearance – took it, Potts headed it down before managing to get a shot away but it was headed away from goal, before Gambin blazed over from 22 yards.

Aaron Collins persisted to threaten down the left and very nearly assisted in a second goal after 15 minutes, as he got past Berry before crossing to the back stick for Padraig Amond to head, but a combination of Stech and the post stopped the Exiles extending their lead.

Town got a deserved equaliser after 23 minutes when Dan Potts rose highest in the Newport box six-yards out to head in from Alan Sheehan's cross from a corner – the left-back's seventh goal of the campaign.

That fired Jones' team into life and it could have very easily been 2-1 to the Hatters just two minutes later when James Collins ran at the Newport defence before cutting on to his left, he looked for the bottom right corner, but Day somehow got a touch and sent the ball behind for a corner.

It was the Town striker again finding space out on the left after a great chipped pass from Stacey with ten minutes of the first half remaining. Collins got it into his right boot before curling it looking for the top right corner, but hit the crossbar.

After an entertaining opening half, it was a tightly contested second, but with very few chances for either side.

Town again threatened from a corner routine as Hylton met Sheehan's near post cross, but his effort was just wide to the left of Day's goal 53 minutes in.

Substitute Frank Nouble went close to giving Mike Flynn's side the lead with nine minutes to go, as he got an effort away from the edge of the box with the Town defence on the back foot, but it was a comfortable save for Stech in the end who dived to his left to gather.

Town went very close to snatching it a minute into stoppage time when substitutes Jake Jervis and Alan McCormack combined on the right, with the latter nutmegging Dan Butler before crossing in low, but the hosts managed to clear it away.

The result means the Hatters have now drawn four of their last five, sitting five points clear of fourth placed Wycombe Wanderers, with eight league games to go for the Town.

Newport: Day, Butler, Demetriou, O'Brien, White, Willmott, Tozer, Sheehan (Nouble 70), Dolan, Amond (McCoulsky 86), Collins.

Subs not used: Bittner, Jackson, Bennett, Reid, Pipe.

Goal: J Sheehan 2'

Yellow: Dolan, O'Brien

Town: Stech, Stacey, Cuthbert, Sheehan, Potts, Rea, Berry, Gambin (McCormack 87), Elliot Lee (Cornick 68), Hylton (Jervis 84), Collins.

Subs not used: Justin, Mullins, Olly Lee, Shea.

Goal: Potts 23'

Referee: Craig Hicks

Attendance: 3,512

Away: 589

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