Bristol City v Tranmere - Saturday October 15th
By Deadly Submarine
October 13 2005
As the run of bad form continues, Rovers face an away trip this weekend to Bristol City, a ground where they have failed to win for ten years. Here Total Tranmere brings you all the news and stats ahead of the game as Rovers look to hit get back to winning ways and prevent a further slide.
BRISTOL CITY Vs TRANMERE ROVERS
Saturday 15th October 2005 – Kick Off 3.00pm
The away games seem to be coming thick and fast for Rovers at the moment but their results on their travels don’t get any better. Following two 1-0 away defeats in a week at Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest which was subsequently followed up by a 2-0 home defeat to Scunthorpe, Rovers travel to one of their bogey grounds needing a win more than ever before.
While many people who look at the League One table at the moment might be surprised to see Rovers lying in 20th place, they would also be surprised to see Bristol City also down there in a lowly 22nd place. After a poor start to the season, manager Brian Tinnion’s reign at Ashton Gate came to an end just eight games into the season following a humiliating 7-1 defeat at high-flying Swansea City.
In the five games since Tinnions’ departure, City have won two games and drawn one and during that spell they have also appointed Yeovil Town boss Gary Johnson as the new manager at Ashton Gate.
The grim reality for Rovers fans is that the team have now not won for seven games, picking up just three points from a possible 21 available. Only one win this season away from home (at Chesterfield) means they have one of the worst away records in the division.
The above facts make depressing reading on their own but when you couple it with the fact that Rovers have not won at Ashton Gate since 1995 when a John Aldridge goal sealed a 1-0 win, the prospects in the minds of Rovers fans prior to this game are not good. Rovers did manage a point at Ashton gate in a 1-1 draw the season after that 1-0 success but since then in four further trips, Rovers have failed to even score and lost all four games at Ashton Gate.
In last seasons meetings between the two sides, City claimed a double over Rovers as they first won 4-0 at Ashton Gate (at a time when Rovers were in decent form) and then snatched three points at Prenton Park in a live Sky TV match in January of this year thanks to an early goal from Leroy Lita who departed for reading in the summer.
DEADLY’S MATCH PREDICTION: BRISTOL CITY 1 - 1 TRANMERE
Team News
Bristol City: – Bristol City are without three leading players after an incident in the early hours of Wednesday morning that saw them arrested. Welsh International David Partridge, along with Bradley Orr and Scott Brown have been fined two weeks wages by the Club after the incident and are currently on police bail.
The Robins have signed 20 year-old Charlton left-back Kelly Youga on loan and he is available against Rovers.
Tranmere Rovers: – Gareth Roberts and Calvin Zola return to the Rovers squad for the trip to Bristol City. Roberts had been injured whilst on international duty with Wales and missed the 2-0 home defeat to Scunthorpe on Friday night. He returned to full training with Rovers on Thursday and is expected to be fit for the game.
Zola has been out for several weeks with a broken bone in his foot but is expected to travel with the squad after returning to training.
Captain Jason McAteer (suspension) and Danny Harrison (broken nose) are unavailable for Rovers.
Probable Rovers Team: Achterberg, Bruce, Sharps, Jackson, Goodison, Roberts, Jennings, Rankine, Aiston, Facey, Greenacre.
Referee – Gary Lewis (Cambridgeshire)
Current Form
Bristol City:
Last Six Games At Home – LDDDWL
Last Six Games - LDLWWL
Tranmere Rovers:
Last Six Games Away – LWDLLL
Last Six Games - DLDLLL
Meetings Last Season
9th November 2004 – Coca-Cola League 1 – Ashton Gate
Bristol City 4 – 0 Tranmere Rovers
Brooker 19
Wilkshire 41
Brooker 57
Wilkshire (pen) 90
Attendance: 11,098
Referee: Trevor Kettle (Berkshire)
10th January 2005 – Coca-Cola League 1 – Prenton Park
Tranmere Rovers 0 – 1 Nottingham Forest
Lita 10
Attendance: 8,183
Referee: Ray Olivier (West Midlands)
Hotshots
Top Scorers in 2005-06 Season:
Bristol City – Steve Brooker (5 Goals)
Tranmere Rovers – Chris Greenacre (6 Goals)
Head to Head
Summary of Past Meetings
All Matches:
Matches Played = 29
Bristol City Wins = 9
Tranmere Wins = 11
Matches Drawn = 9
Bristol City Goals = 37
Tranmere Goals = 42
At Bristol City:
Matches Played = 15
Bristol City Wins = 8
Tranmere Wins = 3
Matches Drawn = 4
Bristol City Goals = 24
Tranmere Goals = 13