League Two Preview: Newport, Accrington in high spirits

Newport County will be out to build on a fine start to life back in the Football League when they travel to Northampton Town on Saturday.

Justin Edinburgh’s men marked their return to the fourth tier of English football with an emphatic 4-1 home win against Accrington Stanley last weekend thanks in part to a double from Chris Zebroski.

The Welsh side, who top League Two as a result, produced another eye-catching result on Tuesday as they dumped Championship outfit Brighton & Hove Albion out of the League Cup with a 3-1 success after extra time.

Northampton – by contrast – have struggled to gain any sort of momentum, succumbing to a last-minute 1-0 defeat at York City last Saturday before losing to MK Dons in the League Cup.

It may be early in the campaign, but Northampton manager Aidy Boothroyd knows last season’s beaten play-off finalists have some hard work ahead of them if they are to improve.

“We’ve come a long way in a short space of time here and part of that is through energy, effort and good old fashioned graft,” he told the club’s official website.

“We are a new team and we are still building, it’s going to take a bit of time but we have got a lot of work to do.”

Accrington meet Portsmouth at the Crown Ground off the back of an excellent League Cup win at Middlesbrough.

Portsmouth are still adjusting to League Two and lost 4-1 at home to Oxford United in their season opener.

Rochdale were the other big winners of the opening weekend, cruising to a 3-0 win over Hartlepool United, and they will hope to replicate that showing against a Burton Albion side that were held by Cheltenham Town in the league.

Plymouth Argyle slipped to defeat against Southend United in their first outing after narrowly securing survival last season, and they face another difficult game this weekend against Fleetwood Town, who confidently dispatched Dagenham & Redbridge 3-1 last week.

Scunthorpe United suffered the ignominy of relegation from League One last season. They have designs on an immediate return to the third tier and travel to Bristol Rovers on the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Mansfield.

Bury lost 2-0 at home to Chesterfield and will be out to atone for that defeat when they travel to Oxford United.

Dagenham & Redbridge open their home campaign against Nigel Worthington’s York City, Hartlepool United face Southend United as they aim for their first League Two win, while Chesterfield take on Cheltenham at the Proact Stadium.

Chesterfield impressed in a 2-1 League Cup defeat at Leeds United on Wednesday and will take confidence from their showing.

Elsewhere, Mansfield Town take on Exeter City, Morecambe meet Torquay United and AFC Wimbledon face Wycombe Wanderers.