Match preview: Newport County (a)

The Spireites are back in action as they travel to South Wales to face Newport County under the floodlights this evening.

After taking four points from the last two away games at Doncaster and Bromley, Paul Cook will be hopeful his side can continue their solid form away from home and provide the travelling Spireites with a performance to be proud of.

Newport are now in their 12th consecutive season in the fourth tier and carry experience within their ranks, searching for promotion to League One for the first time after their arrival from the National League in 2013.

Head-to-head

Chesterfield last faced the Exiles in May 2018, when Kristian Dennis scored the only goal in a 1-0 win for a Chesterfield team who sat bottom of the Football League.

Paul Cook has won three of his seven fixtures against Newport but hasn’t won as manager of the Spireites, with a 3-2 away defeat in December 2013 followed by a 1-1 draw later that season against a Newport team that featured Tom Naylor.

Cook then went on to win three of his four games against the Welsh outfit as Portsmouth manager before suffering a 1-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup first round whilst at Ipswich Town.

Nelson Jardim

New head coach Nelson Jardim has had a mixed start to life in South Wales after his appointment in the summer, taking five wins and six losses in the league so far, leaving them level with the Spireites on 15 points in the middle of the League Two table.

Portuguese-born Jardim had coached at Swansea City in the past and initially joined Newport as a lead coach before the head coach decision was made in July.

Having last managed Maritimo B back in Portugal, Jardim has now taken his first head coach role in England and will be hopeful his previous experience can guide his Newport side to promotion.

Player-in-focus

Kyle Hudlin is no stranger to Chesterfield, having faced the Spireites four times during his time at Solihull Moors.

Famed for his height (6’ 7”), Hudlin signed for Newport in the summer on a season-long loan from Huddersfield Town, whom he signed for in 2022 from Solihull.

He has netted twice already this season and will be looking to get on the scoresheet against the Spireites once more after his 90th minute winner for Moors in a 2-1 away defeat for Chesterfield back in 2021.