Tricky Cup Test For Tranmere
By Matthew Jones
December 2 2012
Ronnie Moore's side have been handed an away tie against Championship side Derby County in the third round of the FA Cup....
Tranmere Rovers have been drawn away to Championship side Derby County in the third round of this seasons FA Cup.
The Rams are managed by Nigel Clough, son of Nottingham Forest legend Brian, and are currently lying sixteenth in their division, six points behind Watford in the final play-off place and four points above struggling Bristol City who occupy the highest relegation position.
The fixture will be the first time the two sides have met since the 1995/96 season, with the most recent fixture seeing the Rams defeat John Aldridge's Tranmere side 6-2 at the Baseball ground.
It will also be a second new ground of the season for Tranmere, after their first visit to Crawley in September, as they travel to Pride Park for the first time, an impressive 33,597 all seater stadium that became Derby's home in 1997.
The tie is Rovers' reward for a 2-1 victory over Chesterfield at Prenton Park yesterday, with Cole Stockton and Adam McGurk netting either side of half time to ensure Tranmere's progression in the competition.
Derby, meanwhile, are entering the competition for the first time this season due to their Championship status.
They have a strong record in the competition over the past nine seasons, progressing to the fourth round and beyond on eight occasions, with their only third round defeat coming against Crawley in 2011.
Tranmere will travel to Pride Park on the weekend of Saturday January 5th, with kick off time and ticket prices yet to be confirmed.
In the fixture, they could come up against a former fans favourite in the shape of Gareth Roberts. The left-back represented Rovers in the 1999/2000 League Cup final at Wembley and has lined up against his former employers just three times since leaving for Doncaster Rovers in 2006.
Derby have history in the FA Cup, having won the competition in 1946 and finished as runner up on three occasions, whilst Tranmere reached the quarter final stage three times between 1999/2000 and 2003/04.
Other notable ties of the third round include:
West Ham vs. Manchester United
Peterborough vs. Norwich
Luton vs. Wolves
Lincoln or Mansfield vs. Liverpool
Cheltenham or Hereford vs. Everton
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Oh and Gareth Roberts is not our captain like the article says
