Newport boss Sheridan confident Newport will end home hoodoo against Cobblers

The struggling south Wales side haven’t won a home game since they saw off Luton Town on March 17, and that’s a run of 12 games without a victory the Irishman desperately wants to end.

Newport go into the showdown with the Cobblers in good spirits, having won their previous two away games at Wycombe and Bristol Rovers, and Sheridan now wants his players to transfer that form to home soil.

“It’s a long time since March, so full credit to the supporters who keep coming,” said Sheridan, who has only taken charge of two home matches since he replaced Terry Butcher in the County hot seat, seeing his team draw 1-1 with Exeter City and lose 1-0 to Portsmouth.

“It would be nice to get that first home win if we can but it’s not a concern to me.

“If you look at the two home games I’ve been in charge we possibly deserved to beat Exeter and against Portsmouth I didn’t feel we deserved to lose the game.

“Obviously it’s nice to get a win for the supporters because they haven’t won a home game this season but its early days for me regarding home games.

“We’ve got to take the confidence from the two away wins into this game.

“We’ve had two excellent results away from home and we’ve just got to carry on that form now and take it into the Northampton game.”

And he added: “It’s different playing at home compared to playing away.

“You’ve got to be brave and if the fans are getting frustrated it’s important that the players are brave and stay positive.

“We’ve got to be brave and be positive and take the game to Northampton, which is what we’ll aim to do.

“Whether it’s home or away we’re going to try to win every game, starting with Northampton.

“It’s another tough game against a team who I think will be up there at the end of the season.

“But it’s a game we’ll go into looking to try to win.

Sheridan is a friend of Cobblers boss Chris Wilder, and although he is aware of the financial problems plaguing the Sixfields club, he doesn’t feel it will have any impact on what happens on the pitch on Saturday.

“I don’t think the off-the-field problems will affect Northampton. I know Chris Wilder well – he’s a good manager and he’s got a strong team,” said Sheridan, who led Plymouth to the play-offs last season before leaving Home Park for family reasons in the summer.

“He’ll just get his players concentrating on what they’re doing on the pitch and they’re going really well at the moment.

“Full credit to them for that, but we’re at home and we know that if we’re on our game we’ve got a good chance of winning.”