Two sides who could do well with a win square off in League Two as Harrogate Town play host to Newport County at the EnviroVent Stadium on Tuesday.
Both teams are currently separated by just two points and five places in the mid-table spots and we anticipate an end-to-end affair as they continue their push for a playoff ticket.
Match preview
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Harrogate Town failed to arrest their slump in form and return to the playoff places as they fell to a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Walsall when the sides squared off on Saturday.
Following a relatively uneventful first half, former Bolton Wanderers man Liam Gordon broke the deadlock in the 47th minute to put the visitors in front before Mo Faal made sure of the result with an 84th-minute strike.
Simon Weaver's men have now failed to win their last three matches, picking up one point from a possible nine, having gone unbeaten in six consecutive games — four wins and two draws — to start the new year.
This drop-off in form has been owing to their recent defensive vulnerability as the Sulphurites have conceded 11 goals in their last three games while failing to hit the target at the opposite end of the pitch in two consecutive outings.
With 48 points from 33 matches, Harrogate Town are currently 11th in the League Two standings, level on points with Morecambe and Walsall, and three points off seventh-placed Gillingham in the final playoff spot.
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Also in the playoff qualification picture is Newport County, who have picked up 13 wins, seven draws and lost 13 of their 33 matches to collect 46 points and sit 16th in the table, five points off the playoff places.
Like Tuesday's hosts, Graham Coughlan's men dropped three huge points in their push for a top-seven finish on Saturday as they fell to a humbling 3-0 defeat at the hands of MK Dons.
In a one-sided affair at Stadium MK, Daniel Kemp, Jack Payne and Alex Gibley all found the back of the net inside the opening half-hour to fire the Dons to a comfortable victory.
Saturday's defeat marked the first time that Newport County failed to find the back of the net in their last 13 matches across all competitions, a run stretching back to their 2-0 loss at Wrexham on December 23.
Having picked up four wins and one draw in their opening five games this year, the Ironsides have now lost two of their last three matches, suffering defeats against Notts County and MK Dons, with a 1-0 victory over Gillingham on February 17 sandwiched between the two losses.
While Newport have been solid in front of their home supporters, they have struggled for consistency on their travels, where they have now lost 10 of their 16 league matches while claiming five wins and one draw.
Team News
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Harrogate Town remain without the services of experienced defender Toby Sims, who has missed the last five matches through a back injury.
He is joined on the club's injury table by fellow defender Rod McDonald, who has been out of action since coming off injured in the game against Wrexham on November 28.
Goalkeeper Mark Oxley was an unused substitute on Saturday after recently returning from a four-month injury spell and the 33-year-old could be involved on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Irish defender Josh Seberry has been sidelined since October through a fibula injury and is out of contention for Newport County.
Englishman Declan Drysdale sustained a severe injury against Oldham Athletic on November 4, while Ryan Delaney is a doubt after missing the last two games through a muscle problem.
Shane McLoughlin, who has started 32 of the Ironsides' 33 league matches, was forced off injured inside the opening 20 minutes against MK Dons at the weekend and is also a major doubt for Tuesday's game.
Harrogate Town possible starting lineup:
Belshaw; Abu, O'Connor, Gibson, Foulds; Cornelius, Dooley; Thomson, Daly, Odoh; Muldoon
Newport County possible starting lineup:
Townsend; Clarke, Bennett, Baker; Lewis, Waite, Wildig, Morris, Payne; Palmer-Houlden, Evans
We say: Harrogate Town 2-1 Newport County
Harrogate Town and Newport County have suffered a drop-off in form of late and will head into Tuesday's clash in search of a morale-boosting result. While both sides are evenly matched on paper, we fancy Weaver's men to secure a narrow victory in front of their home supporters.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
