Preview: Accrington Stanley vs. Newport County - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors, meanwhile, are set to compete in their 11th consecutive season at this level.

Match preview

Indeed, after being promoted from League Two as champions in 2018, John Coleman managed to keep Stanley in the third tier of English football for a solid five seasons.

Accrington were never in any real relegation danger in their first four seasons, but a series of injury issues last time out saw them struggle to maintain the momentum which they had worked so hard to build during Coleman's tenure, ultimately finishing two points from safety.

All four of the teams that were relegated to League Two at the end of the 2021-22 season finished in the bottom half of League Two last time out, suggesting Accrington and their fellow three relegated sides may be in for a tough time of things in the Football League's bottom division.

Moreover, Coleman's only senior signing so far this summer has been attracting right-back Kelvin Mellor from Crewe Alexandra, while 10 senior figures have departed the club. Regardless, they will be hoping to make a strong start to the campaign this weekend.

Newport, meanwhile, must be scratching their heads as to how they never managed to join Accrington in League One after losing the play-off final at this level in 2019 and 2021.

The Exiles have not competed in the third tier of English football since 1987, but having been a non-league outfit from 1988 until their promotion from the National League in 2013, stabilising in League Two for the past decade represents major progress nonetheless.

They ended last season in decent form under Graham Coughlan, who was appointed as the club's manager last October, losing just three of their last 13 matches to move up to 15th in the table with a 2-2 draw against Crewe on the final day of the campaign.

It has been a summer of high turnover in South Wales so far, with around a dozen players coming in and out of the door, but Coughlan will hope that holding onto star striker Omar Bogle helps them avoid becoming embroiled in any relegation drama.

Accrington Stanley League Two form:

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Newport County League Two form:

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Newport County form (all competitions):

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Team News

Accrington will head into the season without central midfielder Joe Pritchard, who is recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture.

Mellor should join loanee signings Brad Hills and Lewis Shipley in making their competitive debuts for the club at the back, with Coleman likely to name a similar side to the one which dispatched York City 2-0 in a friendly last weekend.

Likewise, Coughlan may be set to name several debutants when his side arrive in the North West of England on Saturday, with Ryan Delaney and Shane McLoughlin set to start after joining from Morecambe Town and Salford City respectively.

Bogle will hope to pick up where he left off after scoring twice against Crewe on the final day of last season, but his manager must decide whether to partner him with a conventional forward or flank him with two wingers.

Accrington Stanley possible starting lineup:

Savin; Mellor, Hills, Rich-Baghuelou, Shipley; Conneely, Leigh, Coyle; Nolan, McConville, Andrews

Newport County possible starting lineup:

Townsend; Delaney, Clarke, Drysdale; McLoughlin, Charsley, Morris, Bowen, Lewis; Bogle, Zanzala

We say: Accrington Stanley 2-1 Newport County

Both teams have undergone plenty of change in terms of playing personnel during the summer transfer window so far, but the fact they have retained their managers should help settle things down.

Accrington will be hoping to bounce back to the third tier at the first attempt this season, and we can envisage them having a little too much quality for their opponents in a potentially entertaining encounter on Saturday.

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