Tranmere Rovers
Swindon Town vs. Tranmere Rovers match preview
By Matthew Jones
April 4 2010
Matthew Jones brings you all the stats, facts and team news you need to know ahead of Saturday's League One trip to the County Ground to take on Swindon Town
Monday 5th April 2010 - Coca-Cola League One
Swindon Town v Tranmere
Kick Off 3.00pm at The County Ground
Fresh from their excellent 3-1 win over Norwich City on Friday night, Tranmere Rovers travel to Swindon Town this bank holiday Monday, hopeful of picking up their third away league win of the season, a result that could move them as high as sixteenth in the table.
Rovers manager Les Parry will be keen for his side to pick up a point, especially after his side were thrashed 4-1 by the Robins at Prenton Park earlier in the season, whilst Swindon themselves will be looking for a win that would keep them second and in the automatic promotion spots.
With Tranmere now looking at every game as an important one though, you can be sure that they will put in a tough, hard working performance this Monday, and hopefully will pick up some much needed points against a side they haven't done particularly done well against in the past.
Previous Meetings:
Les Parry's two heaviest defeats as Tranmere manager have been 4-1 losses, to Leeds United and way back at the end of October, against Swindon Town, at Prenton Park, on the same day that Tranmere celebrated their 125 year anniversary.
Tranmere were comfortably beaten in the game, putting in a hugely disappointing display in a game that saw them have just 40% of the possession and have nine shots less in the match than their visitors, who have since rocketted up the table and are now looking a good bet to be promoted.
Rovers did have chances early in the match though, Ricketts coming close with a header before his cross a few minutes later was just out of reach of Gareth Edds inside the penalty area.
Goodison and McLaren had chances too, both forcing saves out of 'keeper Lucas, but it was the visitors who had the best of the chances, Paynter and Timlin coming close before Paynter opened the scoring just after the half hour mark when he netted after Tranmere failed to clear McGovern's cross.
Minutes later Swindon doubled their lead as, after Bakayogo had failed to clear a cross, Paynter got his second of the game, beating Martin with a shot from close range.
Martin was comfortably the busiest of the two goalkeepers, with Paynter having three more chances to get his hatrick, one shot hitting the post, before Swindon made it 3-0 on the hour mark when McNamee fired home from just inside the penalty area from Obadeyi's pass.
Tranmere did pull one back, Shuker netting from Goodison's flick on after 78 minutes, but Swindon had the final say when they made it 4-1 as former Celtic player Simon Ferry completed the scoring with a shot from outside the area late on.
Vital Stats:
Tranmere have played 29 previous away games against Swindon, picking up just four wins and losing on eighteen occasions
Swindon haven't completed a league double over Tranmere since the 1984/85 season
Rovers have won just once in their last seven trips to the County Ground
In their 29 away games against Swindon Tranmere have scored 28 goals, conceding 52
Tranmere have won just one of five previous meetings between the two sides in the month of April
On This Day:
2009: Goals from Ian Thomas-Moore and Aaron Cresswell secure Ronnie Moore's Tranmere a 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers
2008: A year earlier, Jennison Myrie-Williams scores but Tranmere lose 2-1 at the Bescott Stadium against Walsall
2003: Ray Mathias' Tranmere draw 0-0 at Kenilworth Road against Luton Town
Tranmere Rovers have played fifteen previous games on this day, picking up nine wins, four draws and two defeats. In these fifteen games they have scored 29 goals and conceded just fourteen.
The Form Book:
Swindon Town Last Six Home Games: DLWWWD
Tranmere Last Six Away Games: LDDWDL
In general, Swindon's home form over their last six matches at the County Ground has been good, with three wins and two draws from six matches, but incredibly just two of their last eight matches have been a home, and it's been their strong away form that has propelled them up into second plae in Coca Cola League One.
The Robins started their six match sequence with a draw, as Charlton Athletic held them to a 1-1 stalemate at the County Ground, before three days later they beat Oldham Athletic 3-0 in the first of three successive home wins.
Next up, Austin and Paynter were on target in a 2-0 win over Carlisle United before struggling Stockport County were hammered 4-1 by Swindon, Paynter netting twice.
However, Swindon haven't won in their last two home games, firstly losing 4-0 to local rivals Bristol Rovers, before high flying Norwich picked up a draw at the County Ground, Greer scoring a 90th minute equaliser for the home side.
Other results of note at home for Danny Wilson's side include wins over Leeds United (3-0), Southampton (1-0), Huddersfield Town (2-1) and Yeovil Town (3-1).
Swindon Town have played nineteen home games so far this season, and picked up an impressive 37 of 57 available points, thanks to eleven wins, six draws and two defeats.
Impressive results away from the County Ground for the Robins include wins over Leeds United (3-0), Tranmere Rovers (4-1), Brentford (3-2) and Southampton (1-0).
Swindon come into this game in second place in the League One table, having played 39 games and picked up 73 of 117 available points, thanks to twenty wins, thirteen draws and just six defeats.
There is no doubt that it's Tranmere's away form that is the reason why they've struggled so much this season, with Rovers picking up just 11 points on the road all season, though they have lost just once in their last five matches away from Prenton Park ahead of this fixture.
Rovers started their six match sequence with a disappointing defeat, losing 1-0 to MK Dons thanks to an early strike from Jason Puncheon, before picking up an excellent point thanks to a 1-1 draw with Charlton Athletic at the Valley.
Rovers picked up just their second away league win of the season a few days later, when Ian Thomas-Moore scored as Tranmere beat Gillingham 1-0 at Priestfield Stadium, before in the same week Tranmere picked up another good point thanks to a 1-1 draw at Roots Hall against Southend United, Ian Goodison scoring the Rovers goal.
Rovers then travelled to Bristol Rovers and picked up a 0-0 draw before just over a week ago Rovers were hammered 3-0 by Brighton and Hove Albion in their most recent away game, a defeat that ended Tranmere's unbeaten run of four games without a defeat on the road.
Rovers come into this game having picked up just 11 of an available 54 points on the road this season, having won two, drawn five and lost eleven of their eighteen games on the road.
Notable results at Prenton Park for Tranmere this season include wins over Gillingham (4-2), Norwich City (3-1), Southampton (2-1) and Southend United (2-0).
Les Parry's side come into this match in 20th place in the League One table, lying one point and one place above the relegation zone, having played 38 games and picked up 41 of an available 114 points, thanks to eleven wins, eight draws and nineteen defeats.
Double Hit:
Current Tranmere coach and former Rovers striker Wayne Allison spent two years with Swindon during the mid-90s, having joined the club from local rivals Bristol City.
Allison started his career with local Yorkshire club Halifax, before moving to Watford in 1989. He spent just one season with the Hornets before moving to Bristol City in 1990, where he would make 225 appearances and score 57 goals, a decent record of nearly one goal in every four games for the striker.
In 1995 he moved to Swindon for £475,000 and became a successful player for the club, playing 122 games and scoring 36 goals, before opting for a move back to Yorkshire with Huddersfield in 1997.
His spell with Huddersfield was followed two years later by a move to Tranmere, for £300,000, still one of the highest transfer fees Tranmere have paid for a player to date.
The Chief became a firm fan favourite at Rovers and was part of the side that reached two F.A. Cup Quarter Finals as he stayed with the club for three years and made 116 appearances for the club, scoring 32 goals, including the winner in an F.A. Cup tie against Premier League side Sunderland at Prenton Park.
Allison left Tranmere in 2002 and went on to have spells as a player with Sheffield United and Chesterfield, before moving in to coaching with Chester City. After the sacking of John Barnes in October, Allison became Les Parry's assistant manager, along with Shaun Garnett, at Tranmere Rovers, making a much supported return to Prenton Park.
One To Watch: Charlie Austin
One half of a deadly strike force, Swindon picked up attacker Charlie Austin from Non-League Poole Town in October, after the striker had scored 48 goals in 43 appearances for the side last season.
The striker started his career with Reading, where he was in the clubs youth teams, but he never progressed to professional level with the club and started first team football at Thatcham Town. He had spells with Knitbury and Hungerford in Non-League football before joining Poole for the 2008/09 season.
His incredible form at Poole attracted the attention of Bournemouth, who offered the player a trial in the summer, but a transfer embargo placed on the club by the Football League meant he could never sign permanently with the club, and as such not play for the first team.
Bournemouth's loss was Swindon's gain, as after an initial trial with the club Austin signed permanently for Swindon on October 2nd 2009 for an undisclosed fee.
Since joining the club, the 20 year old hasn't looked back. He has now played 28 games for the club and scored seventeen goals, four of which have come in his last five matches.
Austin is quick and a very natural finisher in front of goal who seems to manage to often be in the right place at the right time.
He wears the number 32 shirt for Swindon and this season he and strike partner Billy Paynter have netted a hugely impressive and formidable 41 goals between them.
League One Fixtures:
With fixtures having been spread out over three days on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the majority of this round of League One fixures do take place on Monday, with the only exception being Oldham vs. Huddersfield, that is on Tuesday night.
Brentford vs. Exeter
Bristol Rovers. vs MK Dons
Charlton vs. Carlisle
Colchester vs. Millwall
Gillingham vs. Southend
Hartlepool vs. Brighton
Norwich vs. Stockport
Southampton vs. Leyton Orient
Swindon vs. Tranmere
Walsall vs. Wycombe
Yeovil vs. Leeds
Team News:
Rovers will once again be without Andy Robinson, who sits out the second game of a three match ban, whilst Les Parry will once again be without Shay Logan who is likely to miss the rest of the season with a hernia problem.
These are however the only absentee's for Tranmere, with Aaron Cresswell available again after a three match suspension and Paul McLaren expected to be available despite picking up his tenth yellow card of the season on Friday night, with the resulting two-match ban not kicking in until next weekend. Les Parry is therefore likely to name the same side that beat Norwich on Friday.
Jones' Prediction: Swindon Town 1-1 Tranmere Rovers
This will be a horribly tough game for Tranmere against a side who are flying high and will be full of confidence following their weekend thrashing of Leeds United. However, Tranmere themselves will be full of confidence following their 3-1 win over table topping Norwich on Friday night, whilst they have had an extra days rest going into this game than Swindon.
Rovers can then perhaps cause a little bit of an upset in this game by at least holding the Robins to a draw. They will need though once more to be as hard working and industrious as they were on Friday night, chasing down every ball, in defence, midfield and attack, and taking their game to their opponents.
If Tranmere can attack Swindon, then they will have chances themselves to hopefully score and perhaps take a lead, which would give them plenty extra confidence both in attack and defence, whilst it would be a huge blow to a Swindon side that recently lost 4-0 at home to Bristol Rovers.
Les Parry though needs to also make sure his defence keeps a watchful eye on the strong Swindon strike force, with Chris McCready and Ian Goodison in defence again likely to be key for the Prenton park side.
Most importantly for Tranmere though, they will be hoping for another goal from striker Ian Thomas-Moore. The striker has now netted twelve goals this season in ten seperate games, with Tranmere not losing a single game he's scored in so far. Only four of his goals this season have come away from home though.
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04/04/2010 11:22
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We haven't lost an away game this season in the league that hasn't been played on a Saturday.
