We should win, but I doubt whether it will be comfortable score-wise, so 2-1 and Williams to score the first. Let's hope for 5,500 at the gate.

6 nil victory. Well we can all dream. Williams first goal. Crowd of 5555. Looking forward to the 26th minute celebrations in the Black Bank for Copps.

3-0 rovers

marquis with the first

4689 crowd

Come on Rovers

Rovers to win 2-0 Williams to score and crowd 5467

I'd love to go with a clean sheet, but Newport have been scoring goals and so I'll go with 3-1 to the Rovers (although I'll be praying for 5-0!). The first scorer is between Marquis the poacher, Williams who will want to get back on the score sheet, and the classy Rowe. I'll go with Williams, and curse when Butler scores! - as long as we win that is. Crowd about 5432.

Following last weeks comprehensive rout at Morecombe it will be interesting to see if we continue our rich vein of form in front of goal.
Aside from the Yeovil game Donny always seem to make hard work of games at the Keepmoat.
Hoping that the Copps appreciation day brings the best out of the team again.
Newport have only won one away this season and are languishing in the lower region of Division 2.
On paper it points to another goal fest.
Donny 4-1
Tommy Rowe ( penalty )
5250.

lets hope for another goal feast but i will go for rovers to scrap it in injury time 2-1 Rowe to score infront of a crowd of around 5432

5-2 to Rovers. Marquis with the first. Crowd 5625.

Rovers6 Newport2 ,Copps to score first crowd 6002

Rovers 3-0 Newport
Williams to score
Crowd 4,990

You can't begrudge Copps his MoM award and it was another great team performance, but I don't think I have seen anyone cover as much ground and cause the opposition as many problems as John Marquis. Williams must bless the day he was signed.

Just attended my first live Rovers game at the Keep-moat today! It's 50 years since I last watched them live at Belle Vue. Can't really call myself a supporter more a fan and follower . Firstly being exiled to Scunthorpe in 1966 and then sent abroad to Wales in 1985. But it's still RTID for me.

But back home in Donny this weekend for mums 90th and a wild night out in Askern.
I brought my special armour and machete just in case.

Yes my second first time was for the Legends Levi moment today!
This did get me reminiscing on my first ever time. This would be around 1953 or 54. Can't remember the exact match as its so long ago. The part memories I have are :-Charlie Williams tackling two players at the same time with his legs wide apart. The young Alick nearly scoring from the half way line. Harry Greg swinging on the crossbar, presumably to wind up Charlie! Yes not strictly PC in those days with bananas regularly thrown on the pitch. Pennies thrown into the grey blanket at half time to the strains of music from the Brodsworth Colliery band viewed from my position sat on my dads shoulders in front of the two candle power floodlights at the Kop end.

Well a little different this time. I was advised to sit in the South Stand to enjoy the banter and atmosphere. ( banter seems to be anti PC these days too!)
However noticed the offer of special Legends hospitality. At £50 for parking, programme, three course meal with champagne and a ring side seat it seemed good value. A little different to the 5 Bob I paid to get in last time. Managed to get my tickets after some kind soul managed to translate for me from South Yorkshire into English.

Had a fabulous time reminiscing with a couple of other exiles over lunch. Interested to see Alfie Hale featuring in the programme. I was there to see him score his hat trick against Darlington in the 10-0 match.

The game itself was enjoyable but I wondered if Newport had mistakenly brought their rugby team as they all seemed over 6 feet and 16 stone. Well 20 in John Parkins case.

Rovers Diamond formation seemed to get bogged down and out muscled. The obvious attacking skills of Blair and Evina neglected down the wings. However the Legend himself managed to find a little space and spray passes with John Marquis putting in the hard yards. No surprise then when Cops scored with a perfectly placed free kick. The 26th minute confetti celebration well appreciate by the man himself. Rovers make shift defence survived a couple of scares with misunderstandings but Joe Wright marshalled his defence well enough and kept John Parkin in check.
Newport enjoyed a little more ball and pressure after the break and Marko Marosi probably had his best game for Rovers making some fine saves. But Rovers tireless chasing paid off when a blocked clearance by Newport led to a simple chase and pull back for Andy Williams to net. Mostly Rovers in control then on and perhaps with a little more patience and build up should have made it more. John Marquis making more of what should really have been two penalties had he not been so theatrical.

Copps gave a polished performance too afterwards in the Legends bar when receiving his MoM award once more. He said he is really enjoying his role playing just behind the front two. Marko Marosi got the Legends bar punters vote . This was a total surprise to him but well deserved.
The gaffer not happy with the performance though.

It won't be 50 years before I go again.

I think a few people got a bit carried away with their predictions.
Newport surprised a few people with their performance today but overall we were well worthy of the victory.
Had Parkin not missed as big a sitter as you have ever seen it could have been a very different outcome.
Because the ref lost the plot in the second half the Newpirt players got a bit nasty and they particularly targeted Marquis.
Marquis had an outstanding game and should have had two penalties.
The second one was a cert but the ref got it as wrong as a big bag of wrong things (black adder if you were wondering) and to make things worse he booked Marquis for diving.
Most if the players were at the top of their game again today.
Coppinger, Marquis, Houghton and Rowe deserve a special mention and Marosi made two outstanding saves late on to prevent a bail biting finish.
The Black Bank special tribute to Copps was a great moment and it was a pleasure to be part of it.
We are actually looking like a very good side at the moment but as was proven today, wins will be hard to earn and we won't be able to relax in any if our games.

Thanks hound.
Did keeper have much to do?
Well done Rovers

Not much in the first half apart from not quite making it rushing out to stop a Newport breakaway. Parkin fortunately missed the easy opportunity . He made a string of brave and good saves in the second half when Newport has their only period of real pressure. He was voted MoM by the punters in the Legends bar. Seems a shy and lovely boy. This performance will boost his confidence

I had Joe Wright as my MoM. Solid in the centre of defence and marshalled the others quite well. His only fault a couple of lazy puts out of defence to nowhere.

Symptomatic of a team playing good football that many of us picked out different performances to salute.

A very touching epistle Nookie. A process of consolidation is in progress and to be where we are in this yet-unfinished state is very satisfying.

Nookie, thanks for a great write-up - about the game, and amusing non-PC notes from the past. What got me going was thoughts about a wild night in Askern!
I well remember Harry and Charlie, and in the warm-up sometimes Charlie would pick-up balls and appear to shake them as if looking for coconut milk. The wonderful non-PC days!
I also remember the Darlington 10-0, but I seem to remember little Alfie scored five of them (but at my age, sometimes memories go astray).
Having watched Saturday's highlights, I think we played some good football, and with more clinical finishing, could have run away with it (why Rowe took so long to shoot and got too narrow and hit the side netting I'll never know). We were lucky with the awful miss by Newport, and Marosi had a couple of good saves, but when you are not at your best and win with a clean sheet, it bodes well for the future.
I get upset when the highlights do not show such things as when Marquis got booked for diving, but how the ref did not give a penalty when Marquis had his legs hooked from under him from behind was a disgrace. C'est la vie!
Even though I've never been to the Keepmoat, and my last time at Belle Vue was when we were in the Conference, I also will always be RTID.

Lanza, Marco had a bit more than usual to do.
The incident that nookie mentionedio wasn't quite from a Newport breakaway.
Our back four had been playing it across the back line and Butler had a heavy touch and had the ball nicked from his toes.
Marosi rushed out to try to clear it but a newport player got there first and squared to parkin who only had to hit the target from about 20 yards but he sidefooted wide of an open goal.
I wouldn't blame Marosi for not getting there because he had no other option than to go for the ball.

Mickey, Alfie got four against Darlo that day.
Incredibly enough Alick failed to get a goal in that game.

Just a few points. Alfie Hale scored 4 against Darlington. Agree no blame on Marosi for the Newport chance in the first half. There were a couple of misunderstanding in defence which other teams in the league might have exploited. But overall pretty solid.
The Rovers 'diamond' formation didn't sparkle too brightly. But the diamond just behind the front 2 makes it a Double Diamond and it seems to work wonders. The left and right sides need a bit more polish to make it last forever. I was well impressed especially with the work rate put in by everybody with special mention for John Marquis. He definitely wasn't Tent a tive. we should make it out of this league this year

PS survived on my Saturday night out in Ackworth, Askern, and Norton. I'm thinking of getting a number 26 tattoo though to really fit in when I come back again.

I nearly said I thought Alfie got 5 that day, but perhaps my memory is fading, but I did not think Alick was playing. Did he and Alfie ever play in the same team?

Yes he played in the Darlington game up front with Alfie Hale and Yogi Broadbent