Grimsby Town forward Iwan Morgan is anticipating a family reunion when he faces Newport County this weekend, with his sister's boyfriend Kieron Evans lining up for the opposition. The 20-year-old, who has started every league game this season, will have his nan, grandad and best mates in the stands at Rodney Parade.
Morgan scored his first goal of the campaign from the penalty spot and provided an assist in Grimsby's 2-0 win over Crawley Town earlier this month. He expects a memorable occasion against someone he has massive respect for. "One of them, Kieron Evans, is my sister's boyfriend," Morgan said. He added that he will have a lot of people there and might need to ask the club for more tickets.
Evans' Newport move
Kieron Evans, four years older than Morgan at 24, joined Newport County permanently this season after coming through the Cardiff City academy. The former Wales Under-20 international, from Brithdir in the south Wales valleys, made his first start under manager Hayden Mullins in a goalless draw at Accrington Stanley. He has since established himself in the side.
Focus on the fixture
Both players are competitors on the pitch despite their personal link. Morgan joked about leaving one on Evans but stressed his main goal is to win the match for Grimsby. Evans has said he will treat Morgan like every other player, with the pair having spoken about this fixture for a couple of years.
The match holds significance in the League Two table. Grimsby travel south sitting third with 13 points from seven games, their unbeaten start a platform for their promotion ambitions. Newport County, in contrast, are 19th and have not won a league game since the opening day.
Morgan, a Cardiff-born Wales Under-19 international, will be central to Grimsby's plans as they look to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat at Notts County last time out. The next challenge is clear: three points at Rodney Parade on Saturday. Check the full fixtures list for the rest of the schedule.
First reported at bbc.com
