MANSFIELD V COUNTY (Tomorrow KO 7.15pm)

NEWPORT County return to Blue Square Bet Premier League action at Mansfield Town tomorrow night after two weeks without a match.

The Exiles have not played a competitive fixture since the 0-0 draw at bottom-club Histon on January 29 but they haven’t been kicking their heels.

That match in Cambridgshire saw striker Craig Reid miss a late penalty in what proved to be his last appearance for the club before his deadline day six-figure switch to League Two Stevenage.

Caretaker boss Tim Harris looks set to hand debuts to strikers Charlie Griffin and Yemi Odubade, who came the other way in the Reid deal, as he faces up to life without his top scorer.

And former Scottish under-21 forward Steven Lennon could also feature having completed his move to the club last night after impressing in a behind-closed doors friendly against Cardiff City this week.

County went down 2-1 to the Bluebirds side but Harris was delighted with the workout.

“It was a very good test against a strong Cardiff side with people like Jon Parkin, Stephen McPhail and Gavin Rae playing,” he said.

“Steven did very well – he’s got a great pedigree – and we’re delighted he's on board.

“With Robbie Matthews, Charlie Griffin, Yemi Odubade and Steven as well we will have good competition for places up front, as we do all over the pitch now and that is the key for the rest of the season.”

Despite the loss of Reid and the fact that County are still without a win in 2011, seeing them drop to eighth in the table and five points off a play-off place, Harris remains optimistic about the remainder of the campaign.

“It’s been a great past two weeks with a team-bonding trip to do some whitewater rafting and a lot of good training sessions,” he said.

“We’ve got lots of hours in on the training pitch, the new boys are settled and we’ve worked them hard.

“Everyone is 100% committed to this club and we’re totally focused on getting back on track, getting some wins on the board and getting us back up that table.”

Nottinghamshire Police are reminding visiting fans travelling to Mansfield that they must have a ticket before attempting to enter the stadium.

The fixture, which kicks-off at 7.15pm due to live coverage on subscription TV channel Premier Sports, is all-ticket for away fans.

There was a violent confrontation between some rival fans in Newport town centre before the two teams met in the league last September.