Can I watch Newport County v Bristol Rovers? Kick-off time, form guide, stream details and team news

Bristol Rovers make the trip across the Severn Bridge to face League Two play-off rivals Newport County at Rodney Parade.

A total of two places and two points separate the two teams with Newport in seventh on 53 points and Rovers on 51 points in ninth. Should Rovers get a win against the Welsh side then they would overtake them in the table.

When does the match start?

The referee will blow his whistle at the traditional English kick-off time of 15.00 GMT.

What’s the latest team news for Bristol Rovers?

There was a virus going around the squad over the last week and that meant Sam Finley had to be benched on Tuesday but he has now recovered. No one else has shown symptoms over the last two days and with both Finley and Paul Coutts freshened up, they could be brought in for a return.

Midfielder Jon Nolan is still awaiting his debut but could find himself on the bench and introduced at a later point.

Leon Clarke started on Tuesday but former Newport striker Aaron Collins is expected to return to the starting 11.

Alfie Kilgour and Josh Grant remain out with injuries.

What’s the latest team news for Newport County?

Up to five players are out for Newport County for tomorrow’s match. Former Gas defender James Clarke was red carded in the draw with Forest Green Rovers and as such will miss out on a return against his former side. His absence hasn’t been helped by the fact that defenders Josh Park (hamstring) and Priestley Farquharson (knee) are injured.

Midfielder Robbie Wilmott is out with a calf injury whilst striker Courtney Baker-Richardson has a hamstring problem.

Aaron Collins’ brother Lewis is in the Newport ranks, though he has often found himself as an unused substitute in this campaign.

The one to watch for the Gwent side will be Dominic Telford, League Two’s top scorer with 24 goals this season. Telford was once a loanee at the Mem.

Form guide and head-to-head

In the earlier part of the season, manager James Rowberry began his reign with a 3-1 win at the Memorial Stadium. Telford scored a brace and Courtney Baker-Richardson were on target with Brett Pitman’s goal only coming as a consolation.

County are unbeaten in their last four matches though they have all been home matches in what has been a run of five games at their home ground.

There have been 68 meetings between Rovers and Newport, with the first fixture starting in September 1920.

It is relatively close between the two with Newport winning 26 to Rovers’ 25 matches whilst there have also been 17 draws.

Rovers’ last win at Rodney Parade was back in March 2016, where they won 4-1 with Ollie Clarke, Cristian Montano, Matt Taylor and Ellis Harrison all on target. Ironically, the player who opened the scoring for the match was Alex Rodman, who was at Newport at the time.

Referee

Darren Handley has been appointed as the man in the middle and he will be assisted by Darren Wilding and Justin Amey, whilst Simon Shaw is the fourth official.

Handley, from Lancashire has refereed eight games, all from January onwards and has not officiated either side this season.

His last Bristol Rovers match was a 1-0 defeat to Stevenage back in January 2020 with Ed Upson sent off.

Can I watch the match?

No. Wales may be a different country but the rules remain the same. This stream is not available to watch on iFollow or any other streaming platform.

BristolWorld’s football reporter Jordan Jones will be there to bring you the action, as well as reaction from Joey Barton.

How can I watch highlights?

EFL on Quest will be broadcast on Quest TV and on Discovery+ from 21.00 GMT. If you want to skip through the Championship highlights then wait an hour.

Highlights will be available on the Sky Sports website, as well as the YouTube channels of both Bristol Rovers and Newport County.