PREVIEW | Grimsby Town vs Newport County

Grimsby Town host Newport County at Blundell Park tonight with the Mariners aiming to continue their recent good form and the Exiles looking to get their season back on track.

Experienced manager Ian Holloway suffered only his third defeat as Grimsby manager on Saturday, but his immediate impact on the club and community has been nothing short of fantastic.

Despite losing 3-1 to table-toppers Swindon Town on Saturday, Holloway has taken the Mariners from 21st to 16th in League Two in his first 10 games and the future is looking bright for the seaside club. 

©DylanScarborough

Play-off dreams in the balance

The Exiles recently ended a run of four league games without a goal in their last game with a 2-1 win against Bradford City at Rodney Parade. Goals from Ryan Innis and Scot Bennett saw the Welsh side come back from 1-0 down within seven minutes. The result eased any pressure on manager Michael Flynn, but the fans will be heading to Lincolnshire needing a win if the Exiles stand any chance of reaching the League Two play-offs.

©Getty / Nigel Roddis

These two have already met twice this season in the Emirates FA Cup where former Grimsby striker Padraig Amond netted a late equaliser at Blundell Park to force a replay at Rodney Parade. The Exiles ran out 2-0 winners at home in the replay where Amond continued to haunt his former employers with another goal alongside skipper Joss Labadie who netted from close range in the 90th minute.

Grimsby midfielder Jake Hessenthaler could be out for the rest of the season while Newport are still without six first-team players. Daniel Leadbitter, Ash Baker, Mark O’Brien and substitute goalkeeper Nick Townsend are all out injured for the Exiles.

The game will take place on Tuesday 25 February and kick-off at 7:45pm.

One to watch - Grimsby Town

James Hanson

©Getty / Pete Norton

Experienced forward James Hanson has played in all three divisions of the EFL and seen everything there is to see in the Football League - including two promotions. In August, he netted five times and grabbed 3 assists which saw him claim the EFL League Two Player of the Month award.

After winning the award, Hanson struggled in front of goal and failed to score in his next 14 games. However, the 32-year-old has now netted twice in his last two games and looks to have found his shooting boots once again. 

One to watch - Newport County

Dale Gorman

©Getty / Pete Norton

Brought in on loan during the Exiles’ injury crisis, Dale Gorman (pictured above in action for parent club Leyton Orient) struggled to hit the ground running with Newport. However, his performance against Bradford City on Saturday was outstanding and he left the field to a standing ovation from County fans.

Gorman proved to be a nuisance for the Bradford defenders as he pressed, tackled and provided sizzling passes all over the pitch for 79 minutes. The Northern Irishman looks to have found his rhythm under Michael Flynn and will almost certainly be in the starting XI for Newport against the Mariners.

Officials

Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge
Assistant Referees: Declan Ford & Christopher Ford
Fourth Official: David Benton

Seb Stockbridge is the man in the middle for this game. So far, Stockbridge has been in charge of 25 games this season - ranging across the Leasing.Com Trophy, League One, League Two, Emirates FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. He has brandished 78 yellow cards and five red cards during that time.

Tonight's game against @NewportCounty at Blundell Park is designated to the work of @lpftweets 🙌 #GTFC https://t.co/zwHBOkFbV7

— Grimsby Town F.C. (@officialgtfc) February 25, 2020