Oldham Athletic face Newport County at Boundary Park, Oldham, Greater Manchester on Saturday, Jan 9 at 4:00 PM in a basement battle that neither side can afford to lose. Both clubs are deep in the relegation picture in the League 2, and defeat here could prove costly come the end of the season.

Oldham Athletic come into this fixture struggling badly (0W 4L in last 5). Newport County, meanwhile, arrive out of form (1W 2L recently) — actually the better-performing side in recent weeks. Oldham Athletic head into this on the back of a defeat, while Newport County arrive off a win — momentum clearly with the visitors.

Head-to-head records offer little separation — Oldham Athletic and Newport County have split their 10 meetings almost evenly (5W–1D–4W). Their last encounter ended in Oldham Athletic won 2–3. These two tend to produce goals — averaging 3.4 per game in recent meetings.

Verdict: This looks an evenly matched contest. Home advantage gives Oldham Athletic a slight edge, but Newport County are capable of causing problems. A draw would be a fair result.