Newport County v Brighton: The Exiles view with 1912 Exiles Podcast

The magic of the FA Cup returns with Brighton facing a potential banana skin against League Two side Newport County – opponents who we now know a little more about thanks to the 1912 Exiles Podcast.

What did we learn from our chat ahead of the match at Rodney Parade? Well, the main takeaway was that you should forget any notion of this being a walk in a park against a side three divisions below the Albion. Newport are up for their cup and they fancy their chances of an upset.

And who can blame them? The pitch is likely to be a pudding with a rugby match being played on it 24 hours earlier and the Exiles have an incredible record of pulling off cupsets against higher level teams. Just ask supporters of Watford, Newcastle United, Leicester City, Middlesbrough, The Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Will the Albion’s name be added to that impressive list of sides who have all failed to beat Newport in recent seasons? Ed Bridges from the 1912 Exiles Podcast talks us through all things Newport as Brighton prepare to find out.

Newport are flying in League Two, currently sitting second in the table. How good has this season been for the Exiles so far and will it end in promotion to League One come May?
The extent of our excellent start to the season took us by surprise. We’ve generally started seasons well in recent years, then had a dip around Christmas when we’ve had cup distractions before recovering in the spring – but this year we were straight out of the blocks and stormed ahead.

The last month has been a bit more subdued and we’ve yielded our lead at the top of the fourth division in the last week, but there is a sense that we’ll never get a better chance than this to win promotion to Division Three.

A lot will hinge on the next few weeks of transfer activity and whether we can place Scott Twine and Brandon Cooper (who have returned to Swindon Town and Swansea City respectively after superb loan spells); holding on to our Welsh international midfielder Josh Sheehan will also be critical.

Newport’s recent cup record against teams from higher division is obscenely good. What is the secret behind it?
I think Mike Flynn has been able to focus the players really well on the cup games – often to the detriment of our league form – and to outwit opposition managers who underestimate us.

Even this season, we’ve put Watford to the sword and came close to getting a result against Newcastle in the Type 2 Diabetes Cup, precisely because they made the mistake of putting out weakened sides and thinking they could coast against us.

Graham Potter likes his players to play possession based football. How do you think that will work out on the Rodney Parade pitch?
Until the last month, the pitch has held up well and in general hasn’t been as bad as its reputation. However, we have had our last two league games postponed due to pitch issues, and Sunday’s game will take place 24 hours after a rugby match so it is unlikely to be a carpet.

This season, we’ve played a much more attractive style ourselves, so it’s likely that any pitch issues will be equally frustrating to both sides.

What can Brighton expect from Newport in terms of playing style?
In previous years, Flynn has made the best out of the tools at his disposal by playing a fairly direct and not particularly attractive brand of football – but this year, he’s reinvented the team into one that plays out from the back and can be patient in possession. I suspect we still have the ability to go more direct if needs be though, and that may well be the case on Sunday.

Which players in the Exiles’ squad should we be looking out for?
Sheehan is our deep-lying creative central midfielder who broke into the Welsh squad late last year and is the beating heart of the side.

Having lost Twine, Sheehan will be our main creative outlet and will be the man Brighton will need to neutralise. Alongside him in central midfield is Joss Labadie, a no-nonsense fourth division brawler who will seek to disrupt your passing and probably get into the heads of any Brighton players who don’t fancy the game much. Also watch out for our wing-backs, Ryan Haynes and Liam Shepherd, who will keep your full-backs busy.

Ben White spent the 2017-18 season on loan with Newport. How is he viewed by supporters and did you realise back then just what a talent he would go onto become?
Ah, we loved Ben White. It was clear that he would go on to great things, and we’ve watched his career with interest. We’re really hoping he’ll play on Sunday and even though we won’t be there to give him a warm welcome, he’s a player who we’re really proud to have seen in an amber shirt.

Football behind closed doors has impacted on clubs lower down the pyramid and the Premier League have been shamefully slow to help out. How have Newport coped?
It’s been hard for every club, but obviously the lower you look down the pyramid the greater the impact has been. Ironically, because we’re a fan-owned club and have therefore had to be very good at living within our means and having modest expectations and financial outlay, we’re probably in a better position to cope with the situation than some of the bigger sides in the third and fourth division, who have been more prone to gambling on player fees and wages and have been left more exposed.

Likewise, Flynn has never really had much of a playing budget so he’s well-accustomed to bargain hunting! But I’m sure there will still be a reckoning in the years ahead where we’ll have to balance the books.

Finally, what is the 1912 Exiles Podcast prediction for Newport v Brighton please?
I think we fancy it, to be honest. The pitch may be a bit of a pudding, we think Brighton won’t put out their best team, and our cancellations mean we’ve had plenty of time to prepare for the game.

I’m saying 1-0, and on the podcast we recorded on Tuesday night, my colleague Jack predicted 3-1 after extra time.

Thanks to Ed for answering our questions – and good luck to Newport in their quest for promotion this season. The latest episode of the 1912 Exiles Podcast is a good listen for a Newport v Brighton preview and you can also follow 1912 Exiles on Twitter.