AFTER a January featuring just three games, Newport County AFC will aim to stretch away from League Two trouble in what could be a moving month.
The Exiles are scheduled to play five fixtures in February - Swindon, Stevenage and Sutton at home with trips to Barrow and Michael Flynn's Walsall.
The doom mongers would point to it being nine weeks since last win, the 2-1 success at Crewe on December 2.
It is indeed a fact that County will go into the Swindon clash on Saturday on a two-month winless streak but they have played just six games in that period due to postponements.
The challenge over the coming weeks will be turning draws into wins after sharing the spoils with AFC Wimbledon, Leyton Orient, Crawley and Rochdale in between losses to Doncaster and Carlisle.
County, who have 20 games to play, know that a strong February will inch them closer to safety, allowing them to push on in March and then enjoy a nerve-free April.
Their fate is in their own hands but they will also look for help from others to leave some strugglers cut adrift.
Rochdale look at serious risk of suffering that fate with the bottom club currently trailing the Exiles by six having played a pair of games more.
Jim Bentley’s men have won just one of their last 11, a miserable streak that has yielded five points from a possible 33.
Dale have a tough run of fixtures against a trio of promotion contenders - Salford away, Northampton at home, Leyton Orient away.
They then finish the month with home games against Gillingham and Stockport before a trip to Crewe.
A poor February would leave Rochdale in all sorts of bother and even a steady one would leave them playing catch-up.
Hartlepool are currently outside the relegation zone but they have played two games more than Gillingham, who have spent big and are a point back.
The Sky Bet League Two league table has now been updated https://t.co/kwnDCmb5ni pic.twitter.com/vnmrxAifsV
— FWP League Two (@FWPLeagueTwo) January 31, 2023
Pools also had a tough January featuring three defeats, a draw and a win against Dale.
In February they travel to Doncaster, Crewe and AFC Wimbledon and host Sutton and Walsall.
County can build a lead over Keith Curle's side but they still have to play them twice - in Newport on April 15 and in a still to be rearranged clash at Victoria Park.
Harrogate have been on the slide, not helped by postponements.
They also have a tough February schedule featuring games against promotion contenders Carlisle, Stockport, Salford, Swindon and Northampton to go along with clashes with Grimsby and Crewe.
The Railwaymen have eight games in a manic month – they will either stretch away or become relegation candidates.
Gillingham against Crawley on Saturday is a massive one for both sides that can really set the tone in a month that will shape whether a team remains a struggler.
Saturday fixtures: County v Swindon (12.45pm), Bradford v Mansfield, Carlisle v Harrogate, Colchester v Barrow, Crewe v Grimsby, Doncaster v Hartlepool, Gillingham v Crawley, Leyton Orient v AFC Wimbledon, Northampton v Walsall, Salford v Rochdale, Stockport v Tranmere, Sutton v Stevenage.
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