ISLE of Wight-born footballer Dan Butler will be hoping his Newport County side get off to the perfect start in the League Two  first leg against Mansfield Town this evening (Thursday).

Butler should be in buoyant mood going into tonight's home game aganst the Stags at Rodney Parade, playing for a side which scraped into the play-offs almost unnoticed thanks to a superb late run of ten unbeaten games.

The former Cowes High School student had already created his biggest career milestone yet this season by being on the winning side against Middlesbrough in the fourth round of the FA Cup and facing a rampant Man City side poised to win a Premier League and domestic cup treble.

If Newport can beat Mansfield over the two legs, they will play either Forest Green Rovers or Tranmere Rovers at Wembley, a venue Butler already knows well having played for Newport against Spurs in the FA Cup last season, when the Londoners' temporary home was the national stadium. 

Dan, a left wing back for the League 2 side, joined the club in June 2016 from Torquay United.

It was his cross in Newport's final league game of the season against Morecambe which led to the vital equaliser and point gained, to ensure a place in the play-offs. 

Newport's match against Mansfield will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event at 7.45pm.