Are complaints about Newport's pitch fair?
· Yahoo Sports
Back-to-back home victories have not been the only talking point at Rodney Parade recently, as opposition managers have taken issue with Newport County's pitch.
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After a 2-1 defeat, Grimsby Town boss David Artell suggested the playing surface thwarted striker Iwan Morgan when he attempted to meet a cross.
"The grass is ridiculously long," said Artell. "I think the length of the grass has probably made [the ball move] quicker. The grass has done him, really."
Similar comments followed Newport's 1-0 win over Colchester United, with U's boss Danny Cowley suggesting the conditions hindered his side's usual game.
"They played a rugby game on here yesterday, and they've just left the pitch really long. It wasn't conducive to playing good football," he said.
"The EFL have rules about it, but they've left it really long. You couldn't overplay because the pitch is so long and so sticky."
What are League Two's pitch regulations?
Rodney Parade is owned by United Rugby Championship (URC) side Dragons, with League Two Newport renting the stadium under a long-term agreement and having priority over fixtures if they clash.
On the eve of Colchester's visit, Dragons beat Ospreys in a Welsh rugby derby.
In September, Newport City Council secured £250,000 in Welsh Government funding to improve training, community and sporting facilities at the stadium.
English Football League (EFL) regulations provide guidelines to clubs on the dimensions of their ground rather than the length of the grass.
The Football Association (FA)'s guidelines recommend match pitches are maintained at a grass height of 25 to 37 millimetres.
Premier League rules do, however, state that the height of the pitch grass shall not exceed 27mm, while Uefa has a 30mm rule for Champions League fixtures.
There is no indication Newport have violated rules.
Home comforts crucial but not an advantage
Newport County are unbeaten at home in League Two this season. [Huw Evans Picture Agency]Newport are unbeaten at Rodney Parade in League Two this season, and will look to maintain that record when they host York City this afternoon (15:00 BST)
Manager Hayden Mullins does not wish to see his side's impressive start diminished by pitch complaints from beaten opponents.
The 47-year-old, who took over in the summer, does not view the conditions as an unfair advantage for the Exiles, as they are unable to regularly train on the pitch.
"It's becoming a bit of a theme at the moment," said Mullins.
"I don't want other people to use the length of our grass, or whatever, as a reason why we're winning games.
"I don't want to detract from what the boys are doing at the moment. The positive for us is that we've maintained an unbeaten start at home.
"We play on it once when we have our home games, and that's it. We're not really allowed on it as such because it will ruin the pitch.
"I don't think that's a massive advantage to us if the pitch [grass] is slightly longer."
While Mullins played down any advantage from the pitch's condition, he did acknowledge that Newport should be comfortable on home soil."
"We're probably more prepped than most teams, and we should be, being the home team. We should be used to our surroundings and pitch dimensions," he said.
"If managers want to mention the pitch, that's up to them.
"All I can control is our group, what we do and how we set up for the game. That's the biggest thing for us."