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Attention returns to Sky Bet League Two this weekend as Walsall take on Newport County in what will be both teams' fifteenth league outing of the season.MATCH INFORMATION
The match will take place at the Exiles' Rodney Parade on Saturday, 8th November, and is due to kick-off at 3.00pm, with team news confirmed at 1.45pm.
NEWS & VIEWS
Winless in their last three league games, the Saddlers will be hoping to build upon last weekend's FA Cup - First Round win over National League side Eastleigh as they hope to retain their place at the top of the table.
With their title rivals unable to capitalise upone recent slip ups, the Saddlers are still in the driving seat as they look to avoid another second-half slip up and finally make it out of the fourth tier.
Of course, there is more than two-thirds of the season still to play and there will no doubt be plenty more ups and downs before we reach the business end of the campaign.
TEAM NEWS
Walsall boss Mat Sadler will have to do without the likes of Harrison Burke, Mason Hancock, Harry Williams, and Elicha Ahui, who remain sidelined through various injuries.
THE OPPOSITION
Despite sitting at the foot of the league table, Newport County have won two of their last three games and, aside from last weekend's FA Cup shoot-out victory over Gillingham, will arrive at this weekend's match on the back of a 3-0 win over Harrogate Town.
Goals from Courtney Baker-Richardson, an unfortunate Bobby Faulkner, and Cameron Antwi saw the Exiles secure three welcome points as they look to at least maintain their gap to safety.
FACTFILE: NEWPORT COUNTY
Nickname: The Exiles
Founded: 1912
Ground: Rodney Parade
Manager: David Hughes
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Walsall and Newport County have met on seventy-four previous occasions, and it's the Exiles who hold an overall Head-to-Head lead, having won on twenty-eight previous occasions compared to the Saddlers' twenty-five.
There have also been twenty-one draws over the fixture's history, a history which began at Fellows Park on Saturday, 8th October 1927 as the two sides met in a Division Three (South) clash which Newport won by three goals to nil.
THE LAST TIME WE MET
The most recent meeting between the Saddlers and Exiles took place at Rodney Parade on Monday, 21st April 2025, and saw the spoils shared as the two teams played out a goalless draw.
The Saddlers huffed and puffed but, after seeing a late Oisin McEntee goal chalked off, were unable to grab an all-important goal as they made it twelve games without a win.
MATCH OFFICIALS
The EFL has confirmed that Ben Atkinson who is based in London will take charge of the match with Niall Felton and Steven Plane being named as assistant referees, whilst Peter Lowe has been selected as Fourth Official.
CATCH THE MATCH
The match will be covered live on the club's in-house service, Saddlers+. Audio options are available for UK-based fans, with those abroad able to watch the game live. Click here for further information.