CITY are braced for more of the same as they head into another long-throw examination at Newport tomorrow.

Mark Hughes has named the identical starting line-up in the last four games and will travel with the same squad.

And he expects the direct approach from the Exiles to be very similar to what they faced in the Walsall stalemate - with the ball being hurled into their box.

Hughes said: “It’s not easy. You’re only one irregular bounce or ricochet away from conceding - that’s the nature of a lot of the football at this level.

“You’ve got to be resolute and have a concentration level that sometimes makes you fear the worst.

“You have the old question, ‘what if this happens, what if that happens’.

“That’s just good self-talk that defenders have to have anyway and at this level you have to understand that mistakes can be made and speculative balls into your box can sometimes hurt you.”

City have conceded just once in the last six games - with the form of Sam Stubbs keeping Romoney Crichlow on the bench after his recent eye issue.

“There’s confidence individually and collectively,” added Hughes. “Stubbsy has come in and added to that.

“Rom has been involved for a good part and had a really good season. When he comes on in the latter part, which he has been doing, he helps with that solidity.

“He was unfortunate to go out of the team in the first place but, at the moment, it’s working for us. We look really solid and I’m loathed to break that up.

“You see some games and some guys look like they’re tiring and then, all of a sudden, they pick themselves up and look really strong.

“It’s a case of continuity in selection and see where that takes us.”

The former Wales boss will be managing only his seventh club game in his native country. The last was a Southampton win at Swansea in May 2018.

He played at Newport’s old Somerton Park home in a Welsh under-21 international but this will be his first taste of Rodney Parade.

Hughes is not anticipating the reception to be any different just because he is back in Wales.

“I’m just viewed as an opposition manager, so I get the same level of stick coming my way.

“One-to-one situations it’s maybe a little bit friendlier but en masse it doesn’t really change. I’m not expecting they’ll have the bunting out.

“It’s not a ground I’ve played on, but there are some good friends who used to be involved with Newport at ownership level.

“The club did a fantastic job getting out of the National League and back into the league itself. There are some good people down there.”