James Rowberry raises promotion hopes: Newport County's 2022-23 League Two preview

James Rowberry is a former Newport youth player who previously coached in the club's academy

After something of a dress rehearsal last season, a new era begins in earnest for Newport County in 2022-23.

Having been beaten in two of the previous three League Two play-off finals, there was more talk of patience than promotion last term at Rodney Parade as Newport said farewell to Mike Flynn and began life under James Rowberry.

Rowberry took the reins from club icon Flynn in October 2021.

The former Cardiff City coach's close family connections with Newport helped ensure he had the blessing of supporters as he attempted to find his feet in his first senior management role.

The encouraging signs which came with an energetic, eye-catching style of play took the sting out of a drop in form at the wrong time that saw play-off hopes end.

With several new additions arriving to consolidate the changes Rowberry wants to bring, expectations and hopes will be higher this season.

How did last season go?

After Flynn's departure - following an inconsistent start to the season - Newport initially found goals and wins easier to come by under Rowberry and moved into the play-off places by Christmas.

For a while it seemed Newport had a chance of winning automatic promotion.

Dom Telford scored 26 goals last season, although he netted only once his last 13 games of the campaign

They were in the top three with eight games to go, only for their streaky form to catch up with them.

A run of one win in seven games saw any hope of a play-off place - never mind the top three - end before the season reached its penultimate weekend.

By the end, Newport were 11th, eight points shy of the top seven.

What are their prospects this season?

As ever, a high turnover of players over the summer - five first-team regulars gone, while eight new faces have arrived - means County fans are taking something of a step into the unknown when it comes to pre-season expectations.

However, there is a genuine feeling that the recruitment of players to match the high-tempo and progressive football Rowberry is demanding will add up to another genuine shot at reaching the third tier for the first time since 1987.

The new man brought a greater attacking edge to the Exiles last term and, even with League Two's top scorer Dom Telford turning down a new contract to move to Crawley, Rowberry will hope the additions of Offrande Zanzala, former Cardiff striker Omar Bogle and on-loan Bluebird Chanka Zimba will ease any goalscoring concerns given the creativity elsewhere.

Aaron Wildig should bring experience and guile in midfield after stepping down from League One.

Finding consistency - both in games and over the winter months - will be key to justifying the excitement about the new-look Newport.

Omar Bogle scored five goals for Hartlepool after joining them from Doncaster in January 2022

Manager James Rowberry's view

"We need to peak at the end of the season. We are at the bottom of a mountain at the minute and we are climbing a mountain so we have got a bit of work to do still.

"With the philosophy and way of playing - we are clear on that.

"We want to progress. I want to take this football club places where it's never been before. We will do it with certain resources, in a certain way, but I am ambitious, the staff, the players and the club are ambitious.

"We have to bear in mind that we have some work to do, but progression is key for us this year."

Transfers in

Offrande Zanzala (Barrow, free); Sam Bowen (Cardiff City, undisclosed); Declan Drysdale (Coventry City, undisclosed); Will Evans (Bala Town, free); Omar Bogle (Hartlepool United, undisclosed); Aaron Wildig (Morecambe, free); Chanka Zimba (Cardiff City, loan); Adam Lewis (Liverpool loan).

Transfers out

Padraig Amond (Released, Woking), Courtney Baker-Richardson (Free, Crewe), Kevin Ellison (Released), Alex Fisher (Released), Louis Hall (Released), Ryan Haynes (Released, Northampton Town), Aneurin Livermore (Released), Courtney Senior (Released), Dom Telford (Free, Crawley).