Bournemouth v Tranmere Rovers Match Preview
By Matthew Jones
November 4 2010
All the stats, facts and team news ahead of this weekend's F.A. Cup First Round fixture at Dean Court
Copyright Historical Football Kits and reproduced by kind permission.
Tranmere manager Les Parry is yet to lose an away cup game since taking charge of the club, drawing at Leyton Orient and beating Aldershot and Walsall in his three away cup games as a Rovers boss, and he will be hoping to continue that run of form this weekend as Rovers travel to Bournemouth.
The Cherries have been one of League One's better sides this season, with last season's League Two runners-up looking a strong team under manager Eddie Howe, but Rovers will be hoping that they're firmly concentrating on the league when the two sides meet this weekend.
Bournemouth Factfile:
Ground: Dean Court (The Fitness First Stadium)
Formed: 1899
Nickname: The Cherries
Manager: Eddie Howe
League Finish 2009/10: 2nd (League Two)
Kit
Colours: Red top with black stripes, black shorts and socks (home),
white shirt with black trim on shoulders, white shorts and black socks
(away)
Previous Meetings:
Tranmere
Rovers were humbled by Bournemouth when the two sides met at Prenton Park in August, with the Cherries running out 3-0 winners on the Wirral.
Coming into the game on the back of a 5-1 win over Peterborough, confidence was high for the Cherries, but they didn't need much help asRovers crashed and burned and were often their own worst enemy, lost the fixture in demoralising fashion.
The visitors were ahead as early as the eighth minute as Josh McQuoid ran on to Michael Symes' long clearance, racing past John Welsh before slotting into the net past Joe Collister.
Symes went from provider to scorer ten minutes later as Bournemouth doubled their advantage on eighteen minutes from the penalty spot, with Symes picking himself up after being fouled by Goodison before cooly finishing past Collister to make it 2-0.
Symes and Goodison had chances to score for both sides over the remainder of the half, but the next game didn't come until the hour mark, when the visitors made it 3-0 from another quick counter attack, with Wiggins and McQuoid involved before the latter slipped the ball into Pugh who made it curtains for Rovers.
Vital Stats:
Tranmere have played 22 previous away games against Bournemouth, picking up four wins, to go with 11 defeats and seven draws
Rovers were the first ever away side to win at Dean Court when they beat Bournemouth 2-0 on December 1st 2001, Jason Price and Gareth Roberts the scorers
Tranmere have a 100% record against Bournemouth in cup competitions, beating the Cherries 4-2 in their soul cup meeting in December 1933
Bournemouth have scored 36 goals in 22 home games against Tranmere, with Rovers netting on 27 occasions
Tranmere are without a win in their last four trips to Bournemouth and have won just three of their last nine games against the South Coast side
On This Day:
2007: Craig Davies scores a late goal for Oldham as the Latics defeat Ronnie Moore's Tranmere Rovers 1-0 at Prenton Park
2005: Awful refereeing decisions go against Tranmere as they lose 2-1 at Valley Parade against Bradford, with The Bantam's winner never going near to crossing the goal line
2004: In the season they made the play-offs, Tranmere defeat Swindon Town 2-1 in the league thanks to a brace from Paul Hall
Tranmere Rovers have played sixteen previous games on this day, picking up eight wins, three draws and five defeats. In these sixteen games, they have scored 23 goals and conceded 19. They have played two cup games on this day, losing both away from home, whilst they have won just one of eight away fixtures on this day, and none of the last six, a run dating back to 1964.
The Form Book:
Bournemouth last six home games: LWWWWD
Tranmere Rovers last six away games: LWLWLL
Since their return to League One in the summer, Bournemouth have been in strong form and at the moment see themselves amongst the promotion chasers at the top of the table.
Eddie Howe's side started their six match sequence with a 0-0 draw in the Johnstones Paint Trophy first round against Torquay, eventually losing the match on penalties, before starting a run of four successive defeats as they beat Dagenham and Redbridge (3-0).
The Cherries continued their run with two more wins in their next two home games, beating Carlisle United (2-0) and Exeter City (3-0), McQuoid netting once in each game as Bournemouth secured two wins that insured they'd scored sixteen goals in their opening five home league games.
Their fourth successive home win came in their next outing against MK Dons, as Hollands, Robinson and Pugh scored in a 3-2 win, before the Cherries lost for the first time at home in the league all season in their most recent home game, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Colchester United.
In their only other home games this season, Bournemouth picked up four of an available six points as they beat Peterborough 5-1 and drew 3-3 with Notts County.
The Cherries have played seven home league games so far this season, picking up 16 of an available 21 points thanks to five wins, one draw and one defeats, whilst they have drawn their only home cup game this season.
Notable results away from home for the Cherries include their soul away win over Tranmere Rovers (3-0) and draws against Brentford (1-1), Brighton (1-1) and Huddersfield (2-2).
Bournemouth come into this game in seventh place in League One, having picked up 23 of an available 45 points from 15 games, having picked up six wins, five draws and four defeats.
A recent mini-revival, before Tuesday's loss at Carlisle, has revitalised Tranmere's season, with eight goals in two league games giving fans and players alike a huge confidence boost.
Rovers started their six match
sequence with disappointing successive defeats, firstly losing 3-1 against Yeovil Town, before losing by the same scoreline two weeks later against
Colchester United, with Ian Thomas-Moore and Enoch Showunmi grabbing a
later consolation goal in each match.
However,
Rovers' form took a sudden up turn in their next game as a superb
strike from Dale Jennings, his first goal for the club, secured
Tranmere's first away league win of the season as they defeated Bristol
Rovers 1-0, but it was back to losing ways next time out as Tranmere
were humbled by big spending Southampton, losing 2-0 at St. Marys.
Tranmere then picked up their second away league win of the season in their next away match, with two goals from John Welsh helping Rovers hammer Walsall 4-1 before Tranmere lost 2-0 against Carlisle United in their most recent home game, with both sides missing penalties.
In
their only away cup match this season, Tranmere defeated Walsall 1-0
in the League Cup first round thanks to a goal from Ian Goodison, whilst they have also drawn games against Huddersfield Town (0-0) and Dagenham and Redbridge (2-2).
So
far this season Tranmere have played eight away games and picked up eight of an available 24 points, thanks to two win, two draws and four
defeats, whilst they have won three, lost four and lost two of their nine away games in all competitions.
Notable
results at home for Tranmere include a 1-0 win over Peterborough and a 4-2 victory over MK Dons, as
well as 1-1 draws with Charlton Athletic and Brighton and Hove Albion.
Tranmere Rovers have played four cup games this season ahead of this match, picking up one win, two draws and one defeat.
Les Parry's side currently lie in 21st place in League One, having picked up 16 of an available 45 points from 15 games, thanks to four wins, four draws and seven defeats.
Double Hit:
Other
than former Northern Ireland international Colin Clarke, who played for
Tranmere and Bournemouth during the 1980's, very few players have
represented the two clubs.
One such player however is former
Aston Villa defender Shaun Teale, who, due to the lack of players to
have represented the two clubs, was also featured in this section of
last seasons Match Preview for the same fixture.
Teale began his
career with Weymouth, but in 1988 he made a £50,000 transfer to another
south coast side in the shape of Bournemouth.
In well over 100
appearances for the Cherries, Teale scored four goals and his talent
didn't go un-noticed as he made a £300,000 transfer to Aston Villa in
1991.
In four years, Teale made over 150 appearances for the
Villains, and in 1995 he joined Tranmere Rovers, then under John King
and with big-spending chairman Peter Johnson at the helm, for £450,000,
an amount that is still a club record transfer fee.
Whilst
at Prenton Park, Teale made 62 appearences, of which 54 appearences
were in the league. Shaun spent three years on Merseyside before being
transfered to Motherwell after loan spells with Preston North End and
Sing Tao.
One To Watch:
After striker Brett Pitman left the club to sign for Bristol City in August, new signing Michaael Symes took over as the lead striker at the club.
A former Everton youngster, Symes joined Bournemouth in the summer on a free transfer from Accrington Stanley, having had a successful season with the Lancashire based side.
Symes rose through the youth ranks at Everton, but fialed to ever make a first team appearance. He spent time on loan at Crewe, Bradford, Stockport and Shrewsbury before eventually signing permamently for the Shrews in 2006, having netted once in three loan games for the club.
He had some success whilst at Shrewsbury, netting seventeen goals in 74 games for the club, but lost his place in the side in 2008 and was sent out on loan to Macclesfield and Bournemouth, playing five times for the club without scoring.
On his return to Shrewsbury, Symes was again sent out on loan, joining Accrington, and having scored once in seven games for the club, he joined the club permanently on a free transfer.
One season at Accrington saw the 26-year old score nineteen goals in 51 games, as he played nearly every match for John Coleman's side last season.
However, he left the club in the summer, moving up a league to join Bournemouth for the second time.
He was handed the number 24 shirt with the Cherries, and has so far scored four times in nine games for the club, including one strike against Tranmere earlier in the season.
An injury on September 10th has so far halted his campaign, but the striker is nearing a return to fitness and could well feature against Tranmere this weekend.
A striker who gets his goals mainly from inside the area, 6'02 Symes is good in the air and could well play the target man role for Eddie Howe's side this weekend.
F.A. Cup first round action:
The F.A. Cup kicks off for Football League teams this weekend, with all 48 League One and League Two sides entering the competition this weekend. There are also several Non-League sides still in the competition of course, with 80 sides competing in 40 ties this weekend.
Here is the pick of this weekends First Round ties (all Saturday unless stated):
Rochdale vs. FC United of Manchester (Friday)
Harrow Borough vs. Chesterfield
Carlisle vs. Tipton
Dartford vs. Port Vale
Fleetwood Town vs. Rochdale
Forest Green vs. Northampton
Gillingham vs. Dover
Hartlepool vs. Vauxhall Motors
Hayes and Yeading vs. Wycombe
Notts County vs. Gateshead
Rushden and Diamonds vs. Yeovil
Stevenage vs. MK Dons
Tamworth vs. Crewe
Cambridge United vs. Huddersfield
Southport vs. Sheffield Wednesday (Sunday)
Team News:
The on-loan midfielder has been given permission by parent club Derby County to play in the game, but Rovers are still waiting to hear from Liverpool on whether goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi can take part in the match. Rovers centre-back Jermaine Grandison, on-loan from Coventry City, is also in the same boat.
However, Rovers will be without three long-term absentees, with Ash Taylor, Alan Mahon and Gunnar Nielsen, who've played just one game between them all season, set to miss the fixture.
Jones' Prediction: Bournemouth 1-1 Tranmere Rovers
With this being the F.A. Cup first round, and with Tranmere having shown recently that they have what it takes to perform away from home, I think they can sneak a draw in this match.
The Cherries are a good side, without doubt, but Les Parry will have his side firing on all cylinders, with the players knowing that a trip to Old Trafford, Anfield or the Emirates Stadium could be just two games away.
I think Tranmere have what it takes to draw this match. On Tuesday, despite losing 2-0 to Carlisle, they have plenty of chances to score and could have got something from the game had things gone their way, whilst in their two league games before then, Rovers had netted eight times.
The worry for Tranmere is their defence. Bournemouth have a strong attacking side, and it will take a lot for Tranmere to keep them quiet, particularly if Aaron Cresswell is still lacking in fitness after his return to the side on Tuesday night.
Rovers therefore must be resolute at the back, but still take the game to the home side, with Dale Jennings and his awesome pace the obvious outlet for Rovers down the left-wing.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:11:05:18:54:43 by Deadly Submarine.
Quote:jade-trfc
if the game was to end in a draw the plymouth game will be called of as fa cup reply will be played that weekend
No it won't...[www.tranmererovers.co.uk]
Last paragraph.
"Should the game go to a replay, it will take place on Tuesday, 16 November, kick off 7.45pm with Tranmere's Category B prices applying."
only if we can take our chances and defend properly.
1-0 to the rovers (jennings)
Every ball is a white ball............TRFC