County aiming to move up at Rovers
THE NEW LAWN FOREST GREEN v NEWPORT COUNTY MILL FARM STADIUM AFC FYLDE v WREXHAM 3pm NEWPORT COUNTY can move back into the League Two play-off places with victory at Forest Green Rovers this afternoon.
Mike Flynn’s charges have steered the club to their best start to a Football League season since 1982/83 where they went on to finish fourth in the old third division – what is now League One.
The Exiles’ current crop sit eighth in the table and are only outsideof the play-off places on goal difference, while six of the top seven also face each other today.
County will be looking to make it four wins from five in the league against a Forest Green side with just one win from 12 since earning promotion meaning they are just a point above the drop zone.
The two sides have already met once this season with Forest Green running out 2-0 victors over County in the Checkatrade Trophy at the end of August.
“It’s going to be a tough game at Forest Green,” said boss Flynn, who won’t be taking anything for granted despite their opponents’ lowly position in the table.
“It’s a village town who get a core of about 1,200 there. Mark Cooper has done very well in getting them out of the National League and into the Football League because a lot have tried.
“They have good players and they can hurt you if you let them play. We won’t let them do that because there are three points up for grabs, and we won’t be going there thinking we can just turn up and get the three points.” 3pm WREXHAM will be looking to progress beyond the fourth qualifying round of the Emirates FA Cup for the first time in three seasons today when they travel to National League counterparts AFC Fylde.
The Dragons have crashed out at this stage in each of the past two seasons.
They lost 1-0 at home to Gainsborough Trinity of National League North two seasons ago, while last term were dumped out by Stamford – a side three levels below them in the pyramid – 3-2 in a replay at the Racecourse.
The last time Wrexham made it past the fourth qualifying round was in 2014/15 when they saw off Macclesfield, Woking and Maidstone before eventually going out 3-1 to Premier League side Stoke City in the third round, having led at one stage.
Wrexham are currently unbeaten in 10 games in the National League and were 2-1 home winners over Eastleigh in their last outing.
And striker Chris Holroyd, the man who netted the winner in that game as well as in the recent derby at Tranmere, feels he is finally starting to hit form after an injury-hit start to his Wrexham career. “I feel like I am hitting my stride now,” he said. “It was a tough start for me, but going back into the team five games ago I feel like I have improved every game.
“My fitness has come on and the team is starting to gel, so I am enjoying it at the moment.”
Meanwhile, Wrexham’s trip to Chester has been brought forward 48 hours to Wednesday, November 8 at 7.45pm and will be shown live on BT Sport.