MATCH PREVIEW | NEWPORT COUNTY V BARNET FC

It’s the 2nd Round of the FA Cup and Barnet travel away to Wales as they take on League Two side, Newport County.

So, what’s the Buzz?
After four consecutive losses, Barnet get a break from the National League with a game in the oldest cup competition in the world- the FA Cup. A win in this second round fixture would see Barnet enter the draw with the biggest sides in the country, but they will firstly have to overcome Newport County.

Despite the recent form, Barnet have reason to remain confident coming into the fixture, having won 15 of their 25 games this season including 50 goals scored.

Club Profile:
Club Name: Newport County A.F.C.
Nickname: The Exiles
Founded: 1912
Ground: Rodney Parade
Manager: Graham Coughlan
League: EFL League Two
League Position: 15th
Form: DLLWW

Opposition Report

Newport County come into this game having beaten Oldham Athletic 2-0 in the first round, and have won two in their last two, including a 2-1 win over League Two leaders Stockport County.

Newport have struggled with injuries this season, with key players like James Clarke injured seeing the thin squad struggle at times. That said, some of these players are coming back to full fitness as they look to challenge Barnet tomorrow.

The Exiles have a recent history of drawing big sides in the FA Cup, facing six clubs from either the Premier League or the Championship in the competition since 2018, including Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

One to Watch: Will Evans

After a strong start to the season including a run of seven goals in five games, the 26-year-old will hope to go on another scoring streak against Barnet tomorrow.

Poaching the 28th minute equaliser in their recent win over Morecambe, Evans is in the top 1% of midfielders in League Two for aerial duels won and shot attempts, something that The Bees will have to deal with in the fixture.
Based on the quality of the chances he has had, Evans would have been expected to have scored 6.22 goals, but has put away 11. This shows his finishing ability, and has the support of the manager having started all 20 league games this season.

In the Dugout: Graham Coughlan

Having played as a centre-back in his 461-game playing career, Coughlan has been the manager at Newport County since 2022, winning 35% of his games at the club. Before Newport, he was manager at Bristol Rovers and Mansfield, helping the former avoid relegation in the 2018-19 season.

Showing a lot of respect for Dean Brennan’s side, fellow-Irishman Coughlan labelled Barnet as a team that uses the ball well with some dangerous players, saying “you can’t get beyond the quality in the squad, they’ve got experience, some young lads, a lot of power and a lot of pace”.