NEWPORT County AFC will break their attendance record at Rodney Parade with more than 7,000 packed into the ground for Saturday’s crucial all-ticket clash with Notts County.

The current record was set in 2013 when 6,615 fans watched County beat Grimsby Town 1-0 in the Conference play-off semi-final second leg.

Christian Jolley’s goal that day earned a 2-0 aggregate win over the Mariners and sealed the Exiles’ place in the Wembley final.

A week later Justin Edinburgh’s men beat Welsh rivals Wrexham 2-0 in the final at English football’s headquarters to secure promotion to League Two.

Goals from Jolley again and substitute Aaron O’Connor ended the club’s 25-year stint in non-league football in front of a Wembley crowd of 16,346.

Four years on, and with the Exiles’ Football League status on the line, the attendance for Saturday’s crunch home clash with Notts County will not reach Wembley levels but it will top the figure for that Grimsby semi-final.

At the time of writing more than 7,000 tickets had been sold (including the away allocation) with just 500 remaining.

Michael Flynn’s men will definitely avoid relegation if they win their final game of the season.

But anything less than victory would mean Hartlepool United staying up if they can beat second-placed Doncaster Rovers at Victoria Park.

The Exiles’ average attendance for home league matches so far this season is 2,650 – the fifth-lowest in the division. 

The highest attendance for a home match this season is 5,121 for the FA Cup replay against Plymouth Argyle in December.

And their highest league crowd at home so far is 3,789 for the win over Yeovil Town on Good Friday.

Kevin Nolan’s Notts County side should not be intimidated by a large crowd as they rank fifth in the league in terms of home attendance with an average of 5,970.

Only Doncaster (6,021), Luton Town (8,030), Plymouth (9,652) and Portsmouth (16,771) attract more home fans than the Magpies do at Meadow Lane.

But there were just 3,883 fans, including 241 Exiles fans, there in November to see a 3-0 victory for the team then managed by Graham Westley. 

Two of the goalscorers that day – loan stars Rhys Healey and Josh Sheehan – are no longer with the club but a repeat success would ensure a party atmosphere at Rodney Parade. The final day of the League Two season sees all matches kick off at 5.30pm.

The Rodney Parade clash is an all-ticket match, meaning all tickets must be purchased by midday on Saturday.

The club recommends that supporters buy tickets online and select the ‘print at home’ option or purchase and collect tickets at their earliest possible convenience to avoid disappointment.

The club ticket office is open from 10am to 7pm today and tomorrow and from 9am to midday on Saturday.

It will be open for collection only from midday to 5pm on Saturday – 30 minutes before kick-off.