Newport County v Crewe Alex 25-26 Preview - Road Warriors

Once again, I love how the fixture computer has thrown up games for the Alex. Because for the next 2 1/2 months, the Alex are going to be racking up the miles. Starting with this game, 7 of their next 8 away games are clocking in at over 200 miles there and back. Only Notts County offers respite from the long coach journeys, all of them heading south. And you know what's worse, only 1 of those games will fall on a Saturday at 3pm. 3 evening kick offs(7:30/7:45), 1 Sunday and three 12:30 kick offs between now and Shrewsbury in early March. Lovely. Here is my preview of the Alex's final game of 2025:

Rotation

Is Lee Bell going to have to shuffle his pack for this one? He can't expect most of these players to play 4 full games in the space of 10 days, so finding a way to rotate is going to be important. But then, with such a limited pack to choose from, what realistically can he do? I have some thoughts on who should and shouldn't be rotated, but we'll save them for the team discussion.

Longer Trips = Struggle

I mentioned it before, but the Alex have had an issue with long away trips under Lee Bell and I'm concerned this will be no different. In trips clocking in at 300 miles there and back or more, they've won just 3 since the start of the 23-24 season, those being at Forest Green, Crawley and Bromley. And none have been an evening kick off. In fact, the last time they won away from home at a team over 150 miles away on an evening kick off was Leyton Orient. In September 2019. They are long overdue to update that stat.

Home Record

Newport's home record is honestly staggering. They haven't lost more than 11 home games in any season since being promoted to League Two back in 2013. But this season, they are up to 8 already and we're still in 2025, with 13 of their games at Rodney Parade still to go including this one. If they are to have any hope of rescuing what looks to be an increasingly dire situation, they'll need their home form to improve and fast.

They've partially improved by registering 2 draws in their last 3 at home, but they need wins.

Dr Crewe x 3

Speaking of which, look who's coming to town. We all make the jokes about the Alex allowing bad teams to get results against them and they have proved to be true in recent weeks. They gave this lot a point at Gresty Road earlier in the month and allowed Bristol Rovers to end their losing streak a week later. How much are we betting that the Alex allow the Exiles to pick up their first home win of the season in this game?

Need a Win

However, the cold reality is that if the Alex are in dire need of a win themselves. They have now won 1 of their last 7, 3 of their last 11 and 5 of their last 18. Heck, even 9 from 22 isn't brilliant if you want to use the full season. Whilst their opening 4 games of 2026 look favourable, the fact is, they are going to the side bottom of the league. They badly need to come home with 3 points to avoid a whole pile of pressure being dumped on the Cheltenham home game on Thursday.

Ref Watch

Abigail Byrne

This is Byrne's 2nd outing with the Alex after she took charge of their 1-0 defeat at Gillingham back in August. I wasn't impressed with her in that fixture, although she wasn't the reason they lost. Hopefully she's better this time around.

2025-26 Record: 13 games(6 League Two, 3 League One, 1 National League, 1 FA Cup, 2 EFL Trophy), 50 yellows, 1 red

Last Game: Peterborough United 1-0 Leyton Orient, 26th December 2025, EFL League One, 5 yellows

Crewe Alex Record: 0-0-1, 2 yellows

Injuries/Absences

Newport

Cam Evans, Kai Whitmore, Ged Garner, Habeeb Ogunneye, Akin Odimayo and Jayden Warner all missed the draw with Barnet on Friday. Evans and Whitmore would be big losses if missing.

Crewe Alex

With no updates from the treatment room, it's hard to know who will or won't be fit. I doubt Lankester or Golding will return given the last update. Thibaut is on the 2nd of his 3 match ban, Tezgel is likely still out and we're now sweating over the status of Josh March and Tommi O'Reilly to see if they return. Oh and we're no closer to knowing when Demetriou and Thomas will return either. Brilliant.

Team

You know what, I'm going big for this game changes wise. It's a risk, but it's not like they were rattling off wins before the injuries increased. In net, Booth returns. Rubber hands Waller drops back to the bench. Across the back 4, I'm starting Finney, Croker, Billington and Mingi. Hutchinson is rested, Connolly dropped and Finney moves to RB. Is it great? No, but then what else can they do?

In midfield Lunt and Sanders start alongside each other. Behind Omar Bogle upfront I'm starting Holicek on the RW, Rankine LW and Agius in the number 10 role. If March and O'Reilly are fit for the squad, they can go on the bench. Powell, Connolly, Hutchinson, Moult and Waller would be the remaining subs. If O'Reilly and March don't make it, then it'll have to be 2 of Dancey, Armstrong and Moore.

Score Prediction

It's last season all over again. They open the month with a home draw. They win their 2nd game on the road. They draw in their final pre-Christmas home game. They lose on Boxing Day. Then follow it up with an unimpressive point on the road to end the year. What money on them doing the same this time around? I'm not in take a point territory at all, but that's how I think it'll end.

Newport County 1-1 Crewe Alexandra