LIFE is rose-y for a certain Newport County midfielder who is going through a bit of purple patch.

Matt Rose, pictured, has scored three goals in his last four starts for the Exiles - and he's looking to continue his rich vein of form against King's Lynn at Newport Stadium this afternoon (3pm).

The 25-year-old computer consultant from Cheltenham sets himself a target of ten goals from midfield each term - and with four in the bag already this season he is well on the way of beating his total of five scored last season and achieving his ten-goal objective this time around.

"My immediate thought when we attack, whether I have got the ball or not, is to go forward and get into the box," said Rose.

"Sometimes the gamble pays off, sometimes it doesn't. I have been fortunate in the past few games that I have been in the right place at the right time."

Rose has been complemented in the centre of the park this season by either young Nathan Davies or the vastly experienced Jason Perry, both of whom hold their position and break up play and get their tackles in.

"Things are going well for me personally at present," said Rose. "Especially with the recent FA Cup run - it was a great adventure.

"But now that's over and we must forget about it and concentrate on the league, after all that is the most important of our challenges this year.

"We have to fulfil our potential in the league and start to go on a little bit of a run." Over the festive period, County play six Dr Martens Premier League games and five of them - at home to King's Lynn and Merthyr Tydfil and away at Stafford Rangers, Tiverton Town and Cambridge City - are against clubs all desperate for points at the wrong end of the table

"The festive period is always an important time with the amount of fixtures," said Rose. "But as we are against all of the clubs around us it takes on added significance as it will be a great bonus if we can take points off our closest rivals - the games could be classed as six-pointers.

"If we do well over Christmas and New Year things could look a lot rosier in January than they do now. All the players are confident and we have to work hard for each other to get the results we need."

Captain and right-back Darren Robison (knee ligaments) is out for eight weeks and defender/midfielder Jason Perry (foot) and Scott Walker (ankle) are missing.

Striker Steve Cowe (hamstring) and Rose (ankle) face a late fitness tests while defenders Jeff Eckhardt and Andrew Thomas both have colds and are doubtful.