Tranmere Rovers
League One Survival Guide "2"
By Matthew Jones
May 3 2010
With now just one fixture left in the regular League One season, Total Tranmere brings you our second "League One Survival Guide", detailing exactly what it's going to take for teams to beat the drop to League Two
One week ago Tranmere were lying 21st in the League One table but with just two games left and lying two points behind Gillingham and Exeter, Rovers' hopes of surviving looked slim.
A week on and after a massive 2-0 hope win over Millwall at Prenton Park on Saturday, Tranmere now have survival very much in their sights, as they go into their final game of the season at Stockport on Saturday level on points with Exeter and two behind Gillingham.
Hartlepool United could also be thrown in to the relegation mix too, with the Monkey Hangers, who drew 1-1 with Exeter at the weekend, looking likely to be docked three points after they fielded the suspsended Gary Liddle in their win over Brighton over Easter.
The Victoria Park side face hearings with the Football League and the F.A. on Tuesday and Thursday, so their punishment should be known later this week.
If they are indeed docked three points, they will slip down the table and end up just one point above Tranmere and Exeter in 19th place.
One team that can't be relegated this season though is Leyton Orient, who secured their League One status with a 2-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers at Brisbane Road on Saturday.
That resulted had further implications on the relegation battle as it ended Wycombe Wanderers fight for survival, who needed to win to have any chance of staying in League One for next season.
Following the weekend's results then, and if Hartlepool do get docked three points,the League One table ahead of the final game of the season looks like this:
| Position | Team | Games | Points | GD |
| 18 | Gillingham | 45 | 50 | -13 |
| 19 | Hartlepool* | 45 | 49 | -8 |
| 20 | Exeter | 45 | 48 | -13 |
| 21 | Tranmere | 45 | 48 | -30 |
Of course this table only stands IF Hartlepool are docked three points, but it should that with just one relegation place still available, there are likely to be four teams playing for survival on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday's fixtures are as follows:
Brentford vs. Hartlepool
Exeter vs. Huddersfield
Stockport vs. Tranmere
Wycombe vs. Gillingham
With one home game left then, none of the teams fighting for survival have particularly easy games, and Saturday is sure to be a nail biting day. Here is what it will take for each team to survive this weekend.
Gillingham:
Gillingham only have to pick up a draw to beat the drop this weekend, as their goal difference is so much better than Tranmere's that whatever Les Parry's side do this weekend, if Gillingham pick up a point, Tranmere can't overtake them.
However, things aren't that easy for the Gills. They play Wycombe, who having been relegated at the weekend will be playing for pride and trying to put in a performance for their home fans to enjoy.
Not only that, but Gillingham have the worst away record in League One, having played 22 matches on the road in the league this season and picked up just six of an available 66 points, thanks to six draws and sixteen defeats.
Hartlepool:
The Monkey Hangers, if they slip in to the relegation battle, have no easy game either. They travel to Brentford, who are unbeaten at home since October and indeed have lost just twice on home soil all season.
Docking the club three points may also completely drain the players of confidence and any belief that they can beat the drop.
Regardless of this, if the Pools do win at Brentford this weekend, they are safe. If Tranmere or Exeter win, then Hartlepool, if docked points, will need to win to beat the drop, whilst draws for Exeter and Tranmere would only require Hartlepool to draw.
IF Tranmere and Exeter win and Hartlepool draw, they WILL NOT be relegated if Gillingham lose at Wycombe, due to Hartlepool's better goal difference.
Exeter:
Exeter perhaps face the toughest game of all the relegation candidates this season, as despite being the only one of the four sides to be playing at home, they face promotion chasing Huddersfield.
Huddersfield themselves can still be automatically promoted, though this depends on several other outcomes. With Swindon playing Millwall, Huddersfield will move ahead of at least one of them in the table, if they win, due to their goal difference being better than Swindon's.
Huddersfield then require Charlton to lose or draw at away to Oldham and Leeds to lose against Bristol Rovers for them to have any chance of promotion in second place.
Huddersfield therefore won't be putting out a weakened side against Exeter as they will be gunning for promotion, showing that Exeter really do have nothing easy this weekend.
They are in the driving seat this weekend as they only need to match or better Tranmere's result to avoid the drop, as their goal difference is so much better than Tranmere's.
Tranmere
For Tranmere, the scenario is simple. They need to at least better Exeter's result to avoid the drop. They can of course finish above Gillingham or Hartlepool in the table, though this would require at least a win and Gillingham to lose or Hartlepool to draw, whilst they need only a draw to finish above Exeter, if Exeter lose to Huddersfield.
Rovers this weekend face Stockport, who are now thirteen games without a win following their 2-1 defeat at Southend at the weekend, who themselves have already been relegated, whilst they have scored just four goals themselves in that time.
So though Tranmere have a tough game this weekend, it is definitely winnable. They will just have to hope that results go in their way elsewhere.
Rovers are expected to sell out their 2,000 allocation of tickets for their game on Saturday, and could even be allocated 1,000 more tickets, so whatever happens, Rovers will have a huge following cheering them on at Edgely Park on Saturday afternoon.
Prediction:
I think Tranmere will beat the drop this season. Even if they don't win at Stockport, I think they should pick up a draw, and I don't think Exeter will win at home to Huddersfield.
All things considered though, Tranmere could well finish above Hartlepool too, who's game at Brentford is anything but easy, though this would require Tranmere to win.
Whether my prediction will come true, I don't know, I hope so, but what is for sure is that Saturday afternoon is going to be a very nail biting day for all concerned. Let's just hope Tranmere come out of it with their League One status still intact!
Don't forget to keep checking back to Total Tranmere for all the latest team news and articles on all the teams looking to beat the drop over the next five days.
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03/05/2010 13:45
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