THE task of predicting the outcome of a Newport County match has been nigh impossible this season, and tomorrow looks no different as they entertain Nationwide North high-fliers Kettering Town in the FA Trophy first round (kick-off 3pm).

After last week's miserable hammering in the FA Cup at Tiverton then the surprise 2-0 Carthium Cup success at Weymouth on Tuesday, just what will happen tomorrow is anyone's guess.

Manager John Cornforth is hoping that the County on show on Tuesday is the one that turns up to face the Poppies.

"It is the case that you sometimes don't know what you are going to get with the squad," Cornforth said. "But I got the reaction I wanted at Weymouth and hopefully it will be the same side that turns up tomorrow. I think it will be.

"It is another cup tie, which is the usual at the moment, and a tough one because they are flying at the moment in the Nationwide North but on our day we are a good side and can challenge anyone. "

He added: "They will be dangerous and have a lot of pace and there is no doubt that we are the underdogs. "But I have been pleased with the home performances do far and will be going for it.

"It is just important that the sleeves get rolled up and we earn the right to be in the next round."

Cornforth has brought in Leyton Maxwell and Matt Rees and he has been pleased with the impact they have made.

He said: "They have come in and I don't think anyone could say that they have not been good additions to the squad.

"Matt is a tremendous presence and Leyton is great with the ball at his feet and that is the type of quality I am trying to bring in."

Cornforth may be tempted to keep the same starting 11 and formation from Tuesday night, where he deployed a 4-5-1 line-up, considering that they are facing a side that is extremely dangerous and will be the favourites in the tie.

He hinted: "I was pleased with the formation against Weymouth and we looked a bit more solid. With Darren (Jones) in the middle, he is not afraid to get his foot on the ball and get the tackles in.

"That gets the crowd involved and also the other players and it was lacking in the previous game."

Despite the mention of the Tiverton disaster, Cornforth insists that he is not in the habit of dwelling too much on the past, good or bad.

He said: "That is history now. We know what happened and I think that it has given the players the kick up the backside they need and now we can go forward.

"I won't be mentioning the game again and we are on the back of a very good performance at Weymouth. "We had a good training session yesterday and will have another today so all the work will be done off the field and it is up to the players to do the business on it."

County are still likely to be without Nathan Davies and Roger Freestone, both through ankle injuries, but the rest of the squad came through Tuesday night's match without any casualties.

Newport County (from): Delve, L Phillips, Rees, Morgan, D Jones, Aherne-Evans, Bowen, Williams, Maxwell, Moralee, Coates, J Phillips, Thomas, Wilson-Denis, G Jones, Passmore, O'Sullivan, Freestone.