Two struggling sides meet in League Two on Saturday, as 19th-placed Newport County welcome 22nd-placed Gillingham to Rodney Parade.

The hosts suffered defeat following a late Paddy Madden goal last time out against Stockport, while the visitors' winless run in the league was extended to six after a 2-0 home defeat to Northampton Town.

Match preview

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Things have been difficult for Newport County since Dominic Telford left the club at the end of the last season, as the 2021-22 League Two Golden Boot winner saw his contract expire before moving to Crawley Town in the summer.

Without the 25-goal striker, the Exiles have only managed to find the net 16 times in their opening 18 games, with their strike rate dropping from 1.46 to 0.89 goals per game since the 25-year-old packed his bags.

Former Cardiff City striker Omar Bogle has helped to soften the blow, with important goals against league leaders Leyton Orient and third-placed Northampton Town, to rescue unlikely away points in both of those games.

New coach Graham Coughlan has only lost once in his opening four league encounters, beating Colchester in both the league and the cup, and drawing to Mansfield and Northampton before that defeat to Stockport.

With positive results since the arrival of the Irishman, Newport will be targeting the visit of the league's lowest-scorers as a great opportunity to further distance themselves from the relegation zone.

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Away side Gillingham are also suffering greatly from the loss of a prolific forward, as Vadaine Oliver left the club after their relegation to League Two.

With just six goals from their opening 17 league games this season, the Gills possess the least prolific attack in England's top-four divisions, having scored fewer than half of League Two's second-lowest scorers Rochdale, who have 13.

The fourth-tier strugglers did pull off a shock result in the EFL Cup last week, as they stunned Premier League side Brentford with a penalty shoot-out win, after Mikael Mandron snatched a 75th-minute equaliser.

Nonetheless, without a goal in three league ties, and with just two on the road all season, Neil Harris needs some returns from his forwards, and quickly, if he is to help the club to avoid consecutive relegations.

Team News

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The hosts will continue without Congolese striker Offrande Zanzala, who suffered a setback in his hamstring injury recovery after making his return against Southampton U21's last month.

As a result, Bogle looks likely to continue up front with William Albert Evans, who looked lively against Stockport.

The visitors could welcome back talented attacking midfielder Ben Reeves after consecutive substitute appearances against Northampton and AFC Fylde in the FA Cup.

Starting goalkeeper Glenn Morris is also out injured, providing another opportunity for 23-year-old Jake Turner to impress once again between the sticks.

Newport County possible starting lineup:
Day; Drysdale, Farquharson, Demetriou; Norman, Bennett, Moriah-Welsh, Waite; Lewis; Bogle, Albert Evans

Gillingham possible starting lineup:
Turner; Law, Baggott, Wright, McKenzie; Jeffries; O'Keefe; Abelakun, Reeves, Green; Mandron

We say: Newport County 2-1 Gillingham

A game that both sides will view as an opportunity to take three points, we are backing the visitors here, given their relatively solid form since the arrival of Coughlan in the dugout in addition to Gillingham's goalscoring woes on the road.

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