DERBY DAY IN THE CAPITAL

ccfcinsider
Oct 6
2 min read

Cardiff City host Newport County as City look to advance in the Vertu Trophy.

The Opposition:

County very nearly slept-walked into relegation from League Two last season, narrowly avoiding the drop. Ex-Cardiff City Academy Manager Dave Hughes was appointed over the summer.

Hughes and County have been active over the summer adding Matt Smith from St. Johnstone, Nik Tzanev from Northampton Town, Ged Garner from Barrow, Jordan Wright from Grimsby Town, Lee Jenkins from Haverfordwest, Liam Shephard from Salford City, Nathaniel Opoku from Leicester City, Ben Lloyd from Swansea City, Habeeb Ogunneye from Manchester United, Sammy Braybrooke from Leicester City and Michael Reindorf from The Bluebirds.

Hughes sets Newport up to be compact, hard-working and aggressive in transition, aiming to force turnovers high up the pitch and make opponents uncomfortable. He places strong emphasis on grit, collective responsibility and “nastiness” as a defensive and psychological tool to drive intensity.

The Bluebirds:

City come into this on the back of a dramatic 4-3 win over Leyton Orient. Callum Robinson, Dylan Lawlor and Yousef Salech all got on the score sheet as The Bluebirds raised to third in League One.

Cardiff could beat this by using quick, precise passing to bypass the press, stretching Newport’s compact shape and exploiting spaces left behind their aggressive transitions.

Opposition Player to Watch:

Sammy Braybrooke has been a shining light in what has been a disappointing start to the season for Newport. Braybrooke is a deep-lying playmaker who dictates tempo with sharp passing, composure under pressure, and intelligent positioning to link defence and attack.

The midfielder is a product of the Leicester City Academy. Braybrooke got his first taste of senior football last year on loan at Dundee, before moving to South Wales to join Newport on loan for the 25/26 season.

Last Meeting:

Cardiff City 4-0 Newport County (1988)

You have to go back some thirty-seven years since these two sides last met in a competitive fixture, with City running out comfortable winners that day.

The Bluebirds had control from the first whistle of this Easter Monday derby and goals from Mike Ford, Paul Wimbleton, Brian McDermott and Nigel Stevenson helped them continue their charge for promotion.

Team News:

Cardiff City - Cian Ashford suspended. Alex Robertson, Joel Colwill, Dylan Lawlor and Ronan Kpakio unavailable due to being on International Duty. Eli King and Ollie Tanner remain out injured.

Newport County - Nik Tzanev on International Duty. Shane McLoughlin, Matt Smith, Ged Garner and Liam Shephard out injured for County.

Preferred XI:

GK - Nathan Trott

RB - Will Spiers

RCB - Gabriel Osho

LCB - Will Fish

LB - Joel Bagan

CDM - Calum Chambers

RCM - Callum Robinson

LCM - Omari Kellyman

RW - Rob Tankiewicz

LW - Chris Willock