- History: Newport County FC have won two of their last three meetings with Harrogate Town in the League Two 2025-2026 season.
- Home form: Newport County FC have won four of their 21 home games in League Two, conceding an average of 1.62 goals per game.
- Away form: Harrogate Town have won five and drawn six of their 21 away games in League Two, scoring 20 goals on the road.
Newport County and Harrogate Town renew League Two rivalry
Newport County FC and Harrogate Town will renew their League Two 2025-2026 rivals on Saturday in a clash that is sure to be intense, with both sides in desperate need of the points to aid their survival hopes. The Exiles are 22nd in the League Two standings with 34 points from 42 games, one point ahead of Harrogate Town, who are propping up the table.
Newport County FC have been in poor form, winning only one of their last five games and losing four of those. Christian Fuchs took over as manager in November 2025 and has instilled a more patient and progressive passing style upon the Exiles.
The short passing, possession-based system has led to better ball progression and organisation for the hosts, but their problems at the back remain. The hosts have conceded an average of 1.62 goals at Rodney Parade in League Two and may be susceptible to a Harrogate Town side that can be deadly from set piece and transition.
Managers and tactics
Simon Weaver has been in charge of Harrogate Town since 2009 and his structure-first approach is very different to Fuchs’ possession-based tactics. The Harrogate manager is always looking to adapt his system during the game and has the personnel to get compact, frustrating opponents on the counter.
Harrogate’s form has been mixed in recent weeks, winning two and losing three of their last five. However, they have been more resistant on the road, winning two of their last three away games and beating Grimsby Town 3-1 on their most recent trip.
The reverse of this fixture, which took place five months ago, saw Newport County FC cruise to a 3-0 victory over Harrogate Town away from home.
Key players
The differing styles of these two sides should make for an intriguing clash, with Weaver’s tactical flexibility and compactness likely to make life difficult for the more possession-orientated hosts, particularly away from home.
Newport County FC are likely to edge a high-scoring game though, so we are taking the odds on the home team to win at 2.26, both teams to score - yes, and over 2.5 goals at 1.73 and 1.95, respectively.
- Harrison Biggins is the most dangerous player for Newport County FC, scoring two of their last three goals in recent matches.
- Michael Spellman leads the scoring charts for the home side this season with five goals in 32 League Two games.
- Jack Muldoon is Harrogate Town’s most dangerous striker, scoring five times in 30 games in the fourth tier this term.
