NEWPORT County AFC assistant manager Wayne Hatswell believes they can have the best of both worlds by working closely with their young talent before sending them off for weekend action.

Exiles defender Joe Woodiwiss and midfielder Lewys Twamley will spend the rest of the season on loan at Merthyr and Salisbury respectively in the Southern Premier League South.

The pair will still train with County’s first team but will develop thanks to minutes in senior football.

The hope is that they will be ready to take the next step in 2021/22 thanks to regular action rather than having the odd cameo or afternoon as an unused substitute.

"We weren’t able to do it at the front end of the season because we didn’t know how many players we would need in the building," said Hatswell.

"We needed a lot of players and just couldn’t send the development boys out on loan.

"Training is always hard here so they benefit from being with us as well while adding that game time.

"That’s key, they are playing men’s football and it’s challenging them."

Woodiwiss has been a regular in the EFL Trophy, started in August’s Carabao Cup upset at League One Ipswich Town and was named on the bench for the League Two fixture against Rochdale in December.

The 19-year-old made his bow for the struggling Martyrs in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Hartley Wintney.

Highly-rated Wales Under-19s international Twamley was injured at the start of the campaign and, after playing in three EFL Trophy games last season, featured off the bench very late on in the 4-3 defeat to Arsenal U23s in the competition.

County played a development fixture against Salisbury in December and Twamley has now linked up with Steve Claridge's side.

He provided an assist on his debut in last Saturday's 3-1 home defeat to Met Police.