Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers v Yeovil Town Match Preview
By Matthew Jones
February 24 2011
Total Tranmere brings you all the stats, facts and team news you need to know ahead of Saturday's League One game against Yeovil Town at Prenton Park.....
Copyright Historical Football Kits and reproduced by kind permission.
It's "FOOTBALL FOR A FIVER" day at Prenton Park this weekend, as Tranmere host Yeovil Town, with all fans permitted entry to all the stands for just £5.
A bumper crowd is therefore expected on the Wirral, and no doubt Tranmere Rovers will be hoping to impress the Wirral public as they look to pick up three more points to push them up towards mid-table security.
Rovers will also be hurting following successive defeats on the road away from home, whilst Yeovil themselves aren't on a great run of form, so this could be a tense game with both sides keen to pick up an important win.
Yeovil Town Factfile:
Ground: Huish Park
Formed: 1895
Nickname: The Glovers
Manager: Terry Skiverton
League Finish 2009/10: 15th
Kit
Colours: Green and white striped shirt, white shorts and socks (home),
white shirt with black trim on sleeves and across chest, black shorts
and socks
(away)
Previous Meetings:
Tranmere Rovers suffered their third successive away defeat at Huish Park in September when Yeovil Town defeated Les Parry's side 3-1 in Somerset.
Rovers put in a dismal display (something that has become somewhat of a given away to Yeovil in recent years) as their hosts had sixteen shots to Tranmere's six, whilst Rovers only had one shot on target, with which they scored.
It took Yeovil just seven minutes to open the scoring as Dean Bowditch netted against the Rovers for the second season running, volleying past Collister from 30-yards, before four minutes later Andy Welsh doubled the lead as he headed home Andrew Williams' cross.
Blanchard headed wide for Tranmere shortly afterwards, but before the half hour mark, Yeovil made it 3-0 as Huntington smashed a shot past Collister after the ball fell to him in the area.
The only other goal to come in the game was from Ian Thomas-Moore in the dying moments of the game after Akins had been brought down in the game, this coming after Showunmi and Thomas-Moore had fired off target for Rovers, but it was no more than a concelation goal after a dismal Tranmere display.
Vital Stats:
Tranmere have never lost in five home games against Yeovil, picking up four wins
In the five previous meetings between these two sides on the Wirral, Tranmere have netted eleven times compared to just five goals from the Glovers
Rovers have never kept a clean sheet at Prenton Park against Yeovil
Tranmere have won the only previous February meeting between these two sides
Rovers have won only two of eight games (excluding penalty shoot out successes) Joss Labadie has missed this season
On This Day:
2005: Paul Hall scores for Tranmere in a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth at Dean Court
2002: Stuart Barlow scores a late equaliser for Rovers as they draw 1-1 away to Wrexham
1991: John King's Tranmere are beaten 2-1 by Huddersfield at Leeds Road in Division 3
Tranmere Rovers have played twelve previous games on this day, picking up six wins, two draws and four defeats. In these twelve games, they have scored on 21 occasions, conceding 23 times.
Rovers have only played three home games on this day but they have won them all, though they are without a win on this day since 1988 when they defeated Darlington 2-1 in Division 4.
The Form Book:
Yeovil last six away games: LWDWDL
Tranmere Rovers last six home games: WDWDWL
Yeovil Town come into this game having lost three matches on the trot, but they are still a formidable side on the road who have recorded four away wins so far this season, including two in their last four away games.
Terry Skiverton's side started their six match sequence with a defeat, losing 4-2 against Hartlepool in the F.A. Cup, before drawing 0-0 with Plymouth Argyle a few days later.
The Glovers then picked up a win as a Dean Bowditch strike secured a 1-0 success over local rivals Swindon Town, before Bowditch was again on target as Yeovil drew 2-2 with Sheffield Wednesday in their next away game.
Yeovil then extended their unbeaten run to four matches on the road with a 2-1 win over Brentford thanks to goals from Johnson and Wotton before, in their most recent home match, the Huish Park side were beaten 2-1 by Dagenham.
Other impressive results on the road for the club this season include wins over Walsall (1-0), and Rochdale (1-0) in the league and a 1-0 F.A. Cup victory over Rushden.
The Glovers have played 16 times on the road this season and
picked up sixteen of an available 46 points, this thanks to four wins, four draws and eight defeats.
Impressive
results at Huish Park for Sheffield Wednesday this season include
wins over Plymouth (1-0), Tranmere (3-1) and Leyton Orient (2-1).
Yeovil Town come into this game in 20th place in npower League One, having played 30 games and picked up 33 of an available 90 points, this thanks to nine
wins, six draws and fifteen defeats.
With just one defeat in their last six matches at Prenton Park, Tranmere have been in strong form on the Wirral since the turn of the year, though things could have been different if they hadn't conceded late goals in two matches.
Les Parry's side started their six match sequence with a defeat, losing 2-1 against Leyton Orient despite a second half equaliser from Scott Wootton, before Ian Goodison scored a left footed screamer to help Rovers beat Carlisle 2-1 in their first home game of 2011.
However, in their next home game, Tranmere let a 3-1 lead against Walsall slip as they drew 3-3, with Walsall netting twice in the last ten minutes, before John Welsh and Dale Jennings then scored as Tranmere recorded an excellent 2-0 win over Southampton .
Rochdale then scored an injury time equaliser at Prenton Park as Tranmere surrendered a 1-0 lead against the Spotland side to draw 1-1, before goals from Lateef Elford-Alliyu, Ian Goodison and Enoch Showunmi saw Tranmere through to a 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in their most recent home game.
Other
impressive results for Tranmere Rovers this season include wins over
Peterborough United (1-0), MK Dons (4-2) and Plymouth Argyle (1-0).
Notable results away from home include wins over Bristol Rovers (1-0), Walsall (4-1), Plymouth (3-1) and Notts County (1-0).
Tranmere currently lie in 17th place in the League One table, having picked up 37 of an available 90 points from 30 games, this thanks to ten wins, seven draws and thirteen defeats.
Double Hit:
George O'Callaghan is the only player to have played for both clubs, having had a spell at Huish Park during the 2009/10 season, during which time he played against Tranmere.
The Irishman joined
Tranmere two-and-a-half years ago from Irish club Cork City , having had previous spells in England with Port
Vale, Brighton and Ipswich.
However, personal problems led to
O'Callaghan making just eight appearances for Tranmere, and after a long
spell away from the first team, Rovers boss Ronnie Moore eventually
releaved O'Callaghan of his services midway through the season.
Upon his release, O'Callaghan returned to Ireland, joining Dundalk, where he made eleven appearances before returning to English football in the summer.
The
English club he joined was Yeovil Town, signing after a successful
trial, but again struggled at the club and was subsequently released,
having made just fifteen appearances for the Glovers.
After being released by Yeovil, he returned to Brighton where he had another trial, but was ultimately unsuccessful, and has since played for Cork and Waterford. He was released by Cork however at the end of the Irish season but returned to England this month for a two week trial with Brentford.
One To Watch: Dean Bowditch
Before joining Yeovil, Bowditch enjoyed spells on loan at Burnley, Wycombe, Brighton (x2), Northampton and Brentford, but failed to score more than two goals in a spell at any of these clubs.
He joined Yeovil Town and has been a big hit for the club ever since. He netted ten goals for the club in his first season at Huish Park and has netted a further eight times so far this campaign.
With plenty of pace and a good poachers instinct, Bowditch as a valuable striker inside the penalty area and does lots of running for his side. He wears the number 14 shirt for the Glovers.
Around League One:
There
are 11 League One fixtures on Saturday afternoon, kicking off at 3.00pm, whilst Notts County host Charlton on Friday night at Meadow Lane:
Brentford vs. Bristol Rovers
Carlisle vs. Sheffield Wednesday
Dagenham and Redbridge vs. Bournemouth
Exeter vs. Hartlepool
Huddersfield vs. Leyton Orient
MK Dons vs. Brighton
Oldham vs. Peterborough
Plymouth vs. Colchester
Southampton vs. Swindon
Tranmere vs. Yeovil
Walsall vs. Rochdale
Team News:
After a second successive 2-1 defeat against Brentford on Tuesday, manager Les Parry may make changes to his Tranmere side this weekend, with Andy Robinson pushing for a starting place ahead of Lucas Akins and Dale Jennings nearing a return to fitness from a muscle injury.
Rovers will be forced into at least two changes, too, with Joss Labadie starting a two match ban after picking up his tenth booking of the season against Brentford, whilst Aaron Cresswell is out with a hip injury picked up in the same match.
Labadie is likely to be replaced by Robbie Weir, unless Les Parry opts to go with a 4-4-2 formation and selects one of Adam McGurk, Andy Robinson and Dale Jennings, whilst Zoumana Bakayogo will replace Cresswell.
Marlon Broomes and Ryan Fraughan remain out with knee ligament injuries for Tranmere, whilst Alan Mahon is also doubtful with a hamstring strain.
Jones' Prediction: Tranmere 2-0 Yeovil
Yeovil Town had a strong run of form in the New Year, but since then, they have dwindled and fallen again, and as such you have to hope that Tranmere can pick up three points in this fixture.
I think Rovers are well capable of winning the match too, especially after suffering the hurt of successive undeserved 2-1 defeats away from home, something the team will certainly be wanting to put right on Saturday.
With a bumper crowd likely at Prenton Park, too, the players will be keen to impress as they look to entice the new fans back to Tranmere games in the future.
If Tranmere are to win though, they must take the game to Yeovil. Too often this season, they've sat back against lower placed League One teams and struggled. If they take the game to Yeovil, their defence may struggle, whilst one goal from Rovers could knock the confidence out of an already fragile side.
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
24/02/2011 20:34
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:02:26:19:46:11 by Deadly Submarine.
im going for a 2 1 home win but im not that confident
The Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday games show that, although they were teams ravaged by administration problems, no doubt hurting the mood of the clubs, though problems which the Sheffield Wednesday players may not have fully overcome yet, from a mentality point of view, owing to an alteration of management.
Tranmere do need to cut out the dozy late goals though. It's now cost them 5 points and the players need to respond to such failings.
Late premier league style netbusting efforts are fair enough, but allowing easy headers, or cheeky little toepokes to go unhindered is not.
think it's time the Rovers did some damage ! 4 - 0 to us
26/02/2011 11:13
Not just the result but the performance was terrible and really boring at times.
28/02/2011 12:38
I thought Kay and Ash were the worst of a bad bunch!
