Exiles look to avoid home blank - and an unwanted record

Newport County have not gone three home league games without scoring a goal in 44 years.

The challenge facing Nelson Jardim's side when they host Grimsby Town this weekend is to ensure that statistic still stands come Saturday evening.

The Exiles will be looking for a first win in front of their own fans since a 3-1 victory over Salford on 1 October.

They have since played two home league games, a 3-0 loss to Chesterfield and a goalless draw with Fleetwood.

Though Newport did find the net in an FA Cup defeat to Peterborough at Rodney Parade earlier this month, they will run out against Grimsby looking to avoid matching the club's run of three home league games without a goal in October 1980.

Len Ashurst was the manager when the Ironsiders - as they were known then - went three Third Division matches without scoring at Somerton Park.

They lost 1-0 to Oxford before being beaten 2-0 by Plymouth and then drawing 0-0 with Reading.

As has been the case with Jardim's side, there were knockout goals during the barren league run, with Newport putting four past Irish side Crusaders during their run to the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup.

Newport went on to finish 12th that season, their first at the third-tier level since 1962 following promotion in the previous campaign.