MK Dons v Tranmere Rovers Match Preview

 
Gunning and Mahon again came close before Gueret made an excellent save from a Curran header on the twenty-minute mark, whilst John Welsh came close too moments later as Tranmere pushed forward in search of a goal.
 
However, when half time came and went, you couldn't help but think that Rovers' best chance of winning the game had gone after they had failed to take their chances, and after Moore had it the bar twice in the opening ten minutes of the first half, and then Mahon had curled an effort just wide for Rovers, it all went horribly wrong, as on 81 minutes, Jabo Ibhere bundled the ball home from close range from Jamal Johnson's cross.
 
Vital Stats:
 
In six previous away trips for Rovers against MK Dons/Wimbledon, they have picked up just one win and one draw, losing on four occasions
 
Tranmere have conceded ten times in six away games when these two sides have met, netting just four goals themselves
 
The only previous time these two sides have met in January saw Wimbledon pick up a 2-0 F.A. Cup win at Prenton Park in 1994
 
MK Dons have only completed the double over Tranmere once, back in the 1982/83 season when they were known as Wimbledon
 
Rovers haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last six games against MK Dons
 
On This Day:
 
1994:  John King's Tranmere lose 2-1 against rivals Bolton Wanderers in Division One
 
1993:  A year early, high-flying Tranmere's promotion hopes are dealt a blow as they suffer a 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich Town
 
1987:  Tranmere draw 1-1 with Colchester United at Layer Road in Division Four
 
Tranmere have played twelve previous fixtures on this day, although none for sixteen years.  In these twelve games, they have picked up just two wins and one draw, losing on nine occasions.  They have scored 13 goals and conceded 21 on this day.
 
The Form Book:
 
MK Dons last 6 home matches:  LLWDWL
Tranmere last 6 away matches:  DLWDLW
 
MK Dons have been hugely inconsistent at Stadium:MK so far this season, with only two wins in their last seven home matches, with both of these wins coming against teams in the bottom half of the League One table.
 
Paul Ince's side started their sequence with a seven goal thriller, beating Exeter City 4-3 thanks to goals from Baldock (x2), Easter and Devaney, before next time out Milton Keynes disappointingly drew 2-2 with lowly Yeovil Town.
 
In their last game before Christmas they made it two home games without a win as they lost 1-0 to Brentford Town, but they turned their form around next time out when they dispatched of struggling Stockport County with a 4-1 win.
 
The Dons were knocked out of the F.A. Cup next time out however, losing 2-1 to Premier League Burnley before in their most recent home game they lost 1-0 to Alan Pardew's Southampton.
 
Other notable home results for the Dons this season include wins over Colchester United (2-1), Norwich City (2-1) and Gillingham.
 
Having played twelve home games so far this season, MK Dons have picked up 20 of an available 36 points, thanks to six wins, two draws and four defeats.
 
Impressive results on the road for Paul Ince's side include a 5-0 thrashing of Hartlepool United as well as wins over Tranmere Rovers (1-0) and Exeter City (2-1).
 
The MK Dons come into this game in seventh place in the League One table, lying just three points behind Huddersfield Town, who currently occupy the final play-off place.  They have so far played 25 league games this season, picking up 39 of an availble 75 points, thanks to twelve wins, three draws and ten defeats.
 
Tranmere's away record has definitely improved of late, with the club having lost only two of their last six matches on the road following Wednesday's draw at Oldham.
 
Indeed, Rovers started their six match sequence with a superb 1-0 win at Leyton Orient in an F.A. Cup first round replay, with Ashton Taylor scoring his first goal for the club late on to win the game.  However four days later Tranmere were to travel home from Brisbane Road empty handed, losing 2-1 to Orient, this time in the league.

Rovers then drew 3-3 in a thrilling match at Huddersfield Town, as Rovers came from behind three times to draw, whilst a week later Tranmere progressed to the third round of the F.A. Cup thanks to a 2-1 win over Aldershot Town.

Tranmere however were then beaten in their next away match, four days losing, suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to in form Southampton, before in their most recent away game, five weeks after the Southampton match, they drew 0-0 in a hugely important game at Oldham.

Tranmere have only picked up one away league win this season, beating Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 at Adams Park thanks to a goal from Ian Moore.
 
Rovers come into this game having picked up just five of an available 36 points on the road this season, having won one, drawn two and lost nine of their twelve games away from home.
 
Notable results at Prenton Park for Tranmere this season include wins over Gillingham (4-2), Bristol Rovers (2-0) and Southend United (2-0). 
 
Les Parry's side come into this match in 22nd place in the League One table, having played 24 games and picked up 22 of an available 72 points, thanks to six wins, four draws and fourteen defeats.

Double Hit:
 
As well as current Rovers midfielder Gareth Edds, Alan Navarro has represented both clubs this century, though the tidy midfielder was released by the Dons in the summer following a two year stay with the club.

After progressing through the Liverpool academy, Navarro enjoyed two spells on loan at Crewe before joining Tranmere on-loan during the 2001/2002 season and his impressive form was enough to convince Dave Watson to sign the player for £225,000.
 
Navarro would stay at Tranmere for four years, and put in several impressive performances before a knee injury sustained during the 2002/03 season hampered his progress on the pitch as he was out of action for nearly a year.
 
On his return from injury, Navarro never quite looked like the same player and failed to recapture his impressive form from his early days at Prenton Park.
 
After loan spells with Chester and Macclesfield, Navarro was released by Tranmere, joining Accrington Stanley on a free transfer in September 2005 on a one month contract, as Tranmere could no longer afford to play him.  Having made 43 league appearances for Tranmere, Navarro played one more match for Rovers, another payment to Liverpool as part of his transfer would have been due, and Rovers couldn't find the money to do this.
 
After his spell at Accrington, Navarro joined Macclesfield on a permanent deal, joining up with Paul Ince for the first time, before following the former Manchester United and Liverpool player to MK Dons eighteen months later.
 
Two years at MK Dons saw Navarro make 89 appearances for the club and score four goals as he became a firm fan favourite in the centre of the Dons midfield.
 
A fine passer of the ball and somebody never worried about putting his foot in, Dons fans were surprised when the player was released in the summer, and Rovers fans commented on how bringing him back to Prenton Park may not be such a bad thing.
 
However, Navarro signed a contract with Brighton and Hove Albion, and has so far made 19 appearances for the club.

One To Watch:  Jermaine Easter
 
A free-scoring striker who is currently one of League One's top finishers this season Jermaine Easter has had a successful start to his MK Dons career after joining the club from Plymouth in the summer.
 
Starting his career with Wolves, where he failed to ever make an appearance, Easter had spells with Hartlepool, Cambridge United and Boston before joining Stockport County in 2005 when his career finally kicked off.
 
Eleven goals in 23 games resulted in the striker moving to Wycombe, where he was part of the side that reached the F.A. Cup Semi-Final, hitting the headlines for his goalscoring exploits during that cup run, which included a strike in a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Adams Park.
 
Easter scored 24 goals that season, and 28 in 70 games for the club before joining Plymouth, initially on-loan before signing permanently during the 2007/08 season.
 
However, Easter could never recapture the form he'd shown whilst at Wycombe and just six goals in eighteen months with the Pilgrims wasn't good enough, with Easter signing for MK Dons last summer after loan spells with Millwall and Colchester.
 
He has so far been one of the signings of the season.  A pacey striker with experience, naturally goalscoring ability and seven Welsh caps to his name, Easter has hit the ground running at Stadium: MK, netting fifteen goals in 27 games for the club.
 
Wearing the number eight shirt for the Dons, Easter is a fine player and one who Ash Taylor and Ian Goodison will have to mark very closely on Saturday, as one chance could well be one chance too many for Rovers.