St Albans City v Newport County Saturday, October 17 – 3pm KO Where: Clarence Park Who: The league leaders are in town this weekend as City welcome Dean Holdsworth s Newport County to Clarence Park. Holdsworth has overseen a massive overhaul of the playin

St Albans City v Newport County

Saturday, October 17 - 3pm KO

Where: Clarence Park

Who: The league leaders are in town this weekend as City welcome Dean Holdsworth's Newport County to Clarence Park. Holdsworth has overseen a massive overhaul of the playing staff in South Wales, a move that has paid off with the Exiles currently leading the Blue Square South table.

Holdsworth's squad reshaping has continued in the build up to this game with Ashan Holgate (Weston-super-Mare) and Kerry Morgan (Swansea City) joining the club and Kevin Cooper departing.

Season so far: Newport moved to the head of the Blue Square South standings with a 1-0 victory over Bath City last time out. The Exiles are unbeaten in the league so far this season, a run Steve Castle's Saints will be looking to bring to an end.

Newport have racked up a couple of impressive wins putting four past a highly-rated Chelmsford City side and thrashing Eastleigh 5-1.

A 1-1 draw at home to basement side Weymouth came as a huge shock but Holdsworth's charges bounced back with consecutive 1-0 wins over Woking and Bath.

Like City, the Exiles are reeling after being knocked out of the FA Cup by lower league opposition with County going down 1-0 to Paulton Rovers of the Zamaretto Division One South and West.

Players: Steve Castle will be without Luke Thurlbourne who is the subject of a one game ban after collecting five yellow cards.

Jonathan O'Donnell could be set to make his full debut for the first team after impressing in recent substitute appearances and for the youth side in the FA Youth Cup.

Alongside Holgate and Morgan, Newport boss Holdsworth could give Alton Thelwell his first start at Clarence Park. The big former Tottenham man came on as a second half sub in the Exiles' FA Cup defeat having joined the club on a week-to-week deal following his release from Leyton Orient in the summer.

Craig Reid is the danger man for City, with the Newport striker bagging eight goals already this term, while winger Charlie Henry looks like the man to supply the ammunition to the Exiles strikers.

Referee: Robert Hyde.