Ipswich Town entertain Newport County tonight in the EFL Cup at Portman Road. MIKE BACON takes a look at the Blues' opponents.

East Anglian Daily Times: Newport County's Kevin Ellison (left) got the winner for The Exiles at Oldham on Saturday.Newport County's Kevin Ellison (left) got the winner for The Exiles at Oldham on Saturday. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

OFF TO A FLYER

Newport County got their League Two campaign off to a good start on Saturday.

Kevin Ellison's 88th-minute goal saw them claim an opening-day victory at Oldham Athletic.

The Exiles, last season's losing League Two play-off finalists, had looked set to settle for a goalless draw at Boundary Park.

But substitute Ellison, 42, glanced home a header from Ryan Haynes' cross to give Mike Flynn's side three points. It was a good result at the end of a tough week for the Welsh side, as boss Flynn explained after the game.

"It's been a tough week. Wayne (Hatswell, assistant manager) has had to bury his aunty. My dad had a suspected heart attack yesterday. We have had Matty Dolan go down, Courtney Baker-Richardson go down, we have had a tough week.

"We had nowhere to train Wednesday, so that's made it all worthwhile."

INFREQUENT OPPONENTS

It was 1972 the last time Town and Newport met in an official fixture.

That was a League Cup clash that Town won 0-3 in Wales, Ian Collard, Johnny Miller and Mick Lambert the scorers for Town.

All the other clashes have been in Division Three (South), the first one between the clubs was in 1938.

Newport were formed in 1912 and spent most of their years in the lower leagues, although in the 1979–80 season they secured promotion out of the Fourth Division and won the Welsh Cup for the first time.

They reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup the next year.

But later that decade they suffered financial difficulties with a double relegation costing them their Football League place in 1988 and the club went out of business in February 1989.

The club reformed and has since regained its League status.

East Anglian Daily Times: Newport County manager Michael Flynn.Newport County manager Michael Flynn. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

BOSS FLYNN ON MAIN STRIKER ABSENCE

Timmy Abraham has joined Newport County AFC on loan from Fulham this season.

The young forward - brother of England and Chelsea's Tammy Abraham - became County’s ninth signing of the summer transfer window after putting pen-to-paper on a contract that will see him remain at Rodney Parade until the summer of 2022.

Abraham spent the last campaign on loan at Sky Bet League One side Plymouth Argyle and Scottish Championship outfit Raith Rovers, where he racked up 12 appearances in all competitions.

He could well feature tonight against Town, as could Padraig Amond who was surprisingly left out of the Exiles squad at Oldham on Saturday.

The 33-year-old striker, who has been the Exiles’ top scorer in all four seasons since arriving from Hartlepool in 2017 and has passed 200 games for the club, did not travel to Boundary Park after manager Flynn went with Lewis Collins and Jermaine Hylton up front.

“He wasn’t in the squad. I picked the squad that I thought would get us three points and that’s it,” said boss Flynn, when asked about Amond's absence.

East Anglian Daily Times: A general view inside Rodney Parade, home of Newport County.A general view inside Rodney Parade, home of Newport County. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

RODNEY IT IS

Although tonight's game is at Portman Road, Newport's Rodney Parade ground has an interesting history.

The Exiles share it with the Newport Dragons and Newport RFC and it is located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre.

The stadium has a great past, opening in 1877. It is the second-oldest sports venue in the Football League.

Newport's highest attendance at Rodney Parade was 9,836 for Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match vs Tottenham Hotspur.

The highest ever attendance at Rodney Parade was 31,000 which was achieved on 10th January 1952 when Newport RFC faced South Africa. (South Africa went onto with that game 12-6).

East Anglian Daily Times: Town are favourites with the bookies tonightTown are favourites with the bookies tonight (Image: PA)

THE ODDS

As you would expect Town are odds-on favourites to win this EFL clash, but with likely plenty of changes to both sides, it could be an interesting encounter.

TOWN WIN 3/4; DRAW 5/2; NEWPORT WIN 7/2

East Anglian Daily Times: The Village People, a hugely popular 1970s disco group from America, featuring Victor Willis, second right, dressed as a policeman!The Village People, a hugely popular 1970s disco group from America, featuring Victor Willis, second right, dressed as a policeman! (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

DID YOU KNOW?

One of the members of the 1970s American disco group, The Village People, whose hits include 'In the Navy' and 'Go West', once lived in Newport.

Victor Willis lived in Newport with his wife in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Victor could be best described to those who aren't signed up to Village People fan club as 'the one who dressed like traffic cop', second right in this photo.