Maldon and Tiptree vs Newport County Predictions

Maldon & Tiptree head into Friday’s clash as the underdogs but having already knocked out one League Two side the hosts will be confident of repeating that feat against Newport County. The visitors needed a replay to beat Grimsby Town in the last round and sit in mid-table in their domestic league and will see this tie as a potential banana skin, especially with the match being televised.

All of the stats suggest that a double chance bet on Maldon & Tiptree is the best way to go on Friday night and we have predicted a final scoreline of 2-1 in favour of the non-league hosts.

Maldon & Tiptree occupy second spot in the Isthmian League North Division a point behind Bury Town but with two games in hand over the league leaders, so promotion is a genuine possibility and has certainly been aided by their best ever run in the FA Cup. Newport County sit eleventh in the League Two table and have been decent but not great on the road this season, picking up two wins, three draws and two defeats.

Maldon & Tiptree have won four of their last six matches in all competitions, including the 2-1 win over Leyton Orient in the last round of the FA Cup, scoring an impressive 19 goals during that period and conceding 11. With no clean sheets in their last six matches we’re not expecting Maldon & Tiptree to keep Newport County out on Friday night but we do believe the hosts will remain in the FA Cup come the final whistle.

Maldon & Tiptree have won every home game this season bar one, losing in the Alan Turvey Trophy on penalties against AFC Sudbury, and have only kept four clean sheets in those sixteen matches, which is why we have backed a final scoreline of 2-1 in favour of the hosts. Newport County have only scored six goals on the road this season but they have also only conceded six goals, and that is why we aren’t expecting anything more than a one-goal margin between the pair on Friday and why we have gone with a 2-1 final scoreline.

Both teams have scored in 41% of Newport’s matches this season and the visitors have only failed to score in 24% of their league games so far and have conceded as many one-goal margin defeats as defeats with a margin of two goals or more, two fo each. The main reason for backing a double chance on Friday rather than an outright home win is the fact that Newport have drawn 43% of their away games this season, which is well above the league average of 29%, and obviously have a professional playing staff, unlike their hosts who are all semi-professional or part-time.

We’re confident that a double chance bet on the visitors will payout on Friday night and we have predicted a final scoreline of 1-1. Maldon & Tiptree might not be a familiar name to most followers of the English leagues but they are having an impressive season and have already knocked out Leyton Orient on the way to their best-ever run in the FA Cup and now have the home advantage against a Newport County side that have only won two of their last six matches in all competitions.