Next Match: Swindon Town v Tranmere Rovers

By Deadly Submarine
April 22 2005

Tranmere travel to Swindon this Saturday (April 23rd) for a 3.00pm kick off in their penultimate away trip of the season. Rovers will be looking to return to winning ways after failing to win or even score in their last two matches. Swindon have also failed to score in their last two games.

Swindon can now no longer reach the play-offs this season but a win for Rovers would confirm them a play-off place.  If Tranmere draw or lose they would have to rely on a highly unlikely slip up for Sheffield Wednesday at home to Stockport in order to confirm their play-off place this weekend.

 

Tranmere go into this game having failed to win or score in their last two matches.  Two consecutive victories away at Sheffield Wednesday and at home to Stockport County were unfortunately followed by a 1-0 defeat at play-off chasing Brentford and then a dull 0-0 at home to Blackpool last Saturday. 

 

Some consolation for Tranmere will be that Swindon have also failed to score in their last two games albeit against slightly tougher opposition in Bristol City and Hull City.  Both those games ended 0-0 so both sides will be looking to return to goalscoring on Saturday.

 

Swindon’s last home win was also there last win in the League, winning 4-2 at home to Wrexham having been 2-0 down to the Welsh strugglers after just half an hour.  Tranmere’s last win away from home was the fine 2-1 victory at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday two weeks ago.

 

Swindon were last defeated at home just two weeks ago when they were beaten 2-1 by Walsall.  Peterborough, Luton and Bournemouth have also managed to win at the County Ground this season.   Prior to their defeat at Brentford last week, Tranmere had last lost on their travels at Hull in December.

 

In the previous meeting between the sides this season at Prenton Park back in November, a Paul Hall brace either side of a David Duke strike for Swindon gave Tranmere 2-1 win.  In last seasons match at the County Ground, a depleted Tranmere side lost goalkeeper John Achterberg in the warm-up and lost 2-0 thanks to a Sam Parkin brace.

 

The County Ground has not been a happy stomping ground in recent years with Tranmere having only won once since 1993 when David Kelly, Jason Koumas and Scott Taylor gave Rovers a 3-2 win in 1999.  With both teams looking to start scoring again and both teams in inconsistent form recently, a draw is the prediction to go for.  If that was to happen, Rovers could then secure a play-off place on Friday night at home to Port Vale.

 

DEADLY’S MATCH PREDICTION: SWINDON TOWN 1-1 TRANMERE ROVERS

 

Stat Attack!!

 

Past Meetings: