Crawley Town vs Newport County: Match Preview
Saturday, August 9 – Broadfield Stadium
Crawley Town turn their focus to their first home fixture, and second game of the season, since returning to League Two, as they host Newport County at the Broadfield Stadium on Saturday, August 9.
Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
The Reds endured the worst possible start to their League Two campaign, falling to a 3–0 defeat at Grimsby Town on the opening day at Blundell Park.
The Mariners flew out of the blocks, taking the lead in the 10th minute when Jaze Kabia confidently converted from the penalty spot. Their advantage was doubled on the half-hour mark, as Cameron McJannet rose highest at the near post to glance home a header from a well-worked set piece.
Crawley's misery was sealed in the 62nd minute when Evan Khouri intercepted a loose pass and rifled a low shot into the bottom corner from outside the area.
However, the game's biggest talking point came with the opening goal. Referee Scott Jackson awarded a penalty after Harvey Davies was judged to have brought down Kieran Green in the box. Replays appeared to show the Liverpool loanee getting a clear touch on the ball before any contact with the player, sparking widespread debate and raising serious questions over the decision.
Despite the controversy, Crawley struggled to find a foothold in the game and were comfortably beaten by the better side. They'll be aiming to make amends for that performance when they welcome the Exiles to Sussex this weekend.
Newport County's Start to the Season
Newport County began their League Two campaign with a solid 1–1 draw at home to Notts County. Gerard Garner opened the scoring early in the second half, reacting quickest to head home from close range after catching the visitors' defence napping.
However, Jodi Jones levelled things up from the penalty spot midway through the half, ensuring the points were shared.
Photo by nicnacnoopixs/Newport County
It was a promising start for the Exiles against last season's play-off semi-finalists, especially after narrowly avoiding relegation themselves, surviving the drop by just one place and seven points.
David Hughes' side were also forced to begin their competitive season early, featuring in the EFL Cup preliminary round against Barnet in midweek ahead of the League Two opener.
After an entertaining 2–2 draw in normal time, Newport held their nerve in the shootout, winning 4–2 on penalties to book a place in the first round, where they will face Millwall on August 12.
Squad News and Summer Business
Since Saturday's game, Crawley Town have announced that young goalkeeper Will Heater has signed his first professional contract, becoming the first player to progress from the Crawley Town Foundation Academy to the senior squad.
Scott Lindsey has brought in 10 new signings this summer, with players arriving from various levels of the football pyramid. With 11 departures, the Reds have undergone a necessary rebuild ahead of their League Two campaign.
Newport County, like Crawley, have experienced a busy summer of transition under new boss David Hughes. In his first Football League managerial role, Hughes has overseen nine arrivals and 13 exits as he reshapes his squad.
The Welsh side's most recent addition is defender Liam Shephard, who joins following his release from Salford City.
Previous Meetings
Crawley fans can feel confident heading into the weekend, with the Reds unbeaten in their last five meetings against Newport- winning four and drawing once.
Photo by Natalie Mayhew
In their most recent clash towards the end of the 2023/24 season, Scott Lindsey's side hit four without reply at Rodney Parade, with goals from Dion Conroy, Laurence Maguire, Ronan Darcy, and Adam Campbell sealing a dominant 4–0 win.
Back in September 2023 at the Broadfield Stadium, Crawley were again ruthless in front of goal, running out 4–1 winners. Other recent results include a 2–2 draw and two 2–1 victories for the Reds.
Newport haven't won at the Broadfield since 2017, when a Micky Demetriou brace earned them a 2–1 victory.
One thing's certain - this fixture never lacks goals.
Newport Key Player: Matt Smith
One player Crawley will need to keep a close eye on is Matt Smith. The 25-year-old brings experience, intelligence, and international pedigree to a Newport side that only narrowly avoided the drop last season.
The Welsh international, who has 19 senior caps and featured in squads for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, boasts an impressive résumé with spells at FC Twente, QPR, Charlton, Hull City, and most recently St Johnstone, where he made 20 appearances last season as the Saints were relegated from the Scottish Premiership.
A product of Manchester City's academy, Smith is a technically gifted, tactically mature midfielder. He's known for his composure on the ball, intelligent positioning, and ability to dictate the tempo of a game. Often deployed as a deep-lying playmaker or box-to-box engine, he excels at breaking up play, retaining possession, and linking defence to attack with smart distribution.
Score Prediction
In their opening games of the season, David Hughes has opted for a 5–3–2 formation, focusing on solidifying the defence and making Newport difficult to break down.
If Crawley can return to the level of performance they've shown in recent meetings with Newport, and if the defeat to Grimsby was indeed just a blip, as captain Dion Conroy suggested, they'll fancy their chances of edging a 2–1 win.
Let us know your predictions in the comments!