Newport County have faced 78 shots in four League Two matches, more than any of the division's 24 clubs

Newport County have faced 78 shots in four League Two matches this season, more than any of the 24 clubs in the division; Walsall are next on 72. Newport have also had less of the ball than any club in that pool, an average of 33.75%, and have managed 35 shots at the other end, 22nd of the 24. Fifty-four of those shots arrived inside the Newport box, the most in the division, where Accrington Stanley are next on 46. The odd part is what the other end has produced from so little: Newport are joint-second in League Two for goals scored on nine, level with Barnet and behind Bristol Rovers on 11. Eighteen goals have been scored in Newport's four matches, more than any other League Two club's, Bristol Rovers next on 17.

The last twenty minutes

Four of the goals Newport have conceded in the last two matches came after the 70th minute, and Newport led in both games before conceding. Gwengwe's 11th-minute goal on 29 August put Newport ahead of Tranmere Rovers at Rodney Parade, and Okoro on 71 and Jones on 75 turned the game round before Gwengwe's second saved a 2-2 draw. At Salford City on 1 September, the Newport midfielder Harrison Biggins lobbed the home goalkeeper from inside his own half on 71 minutes, then Taylor Allen equalised and Kelly N'Mai won it in injury time. Newport had 26% of the ball at the AIG Stadium, the lowest of the four, and Salford had 32 shots, 23 of those inside the Newport box. At the other end of that ledger, the nine goals Newport have conceded are joint-most of the 24 clubs, level with Accrington Stanley. Hayden Mullins, the Newport manager, said afterwards: "Conceding in the 90th minute is always tough. The boys were running on empty in the end."

Northampton Town on Saturday

Northampton Town, who host Newport County at Sixfields at 3pm on Saturday, have conceded three goals in four League Two matches, joint-second fewest of the 24 behind Crewe on two and level with Oldham Athletic and Fleetwood Town, and have faced 42 shots, joint-fewest in the division. That is 36 fewer shots than Newport have faced, and the sternest test yet of whether the pattern holds.

Three limits. No expected-goals figure appears in this piece, because API-Football has published an expected-goals figure on only two of Newport's four League Two matches. Newport County had posted a fixture and ticket notice for the Northampton match rather than a full preview, so the kick-off and the ground come from that notice, and Saturday's attendance will exist only once the game is played. And the Salford account here is Newport County's own match report; Salford City's version was not read.