Tranmere Preview
By: Richard Hubbert
Date: 27/11/2003
AFTER an impressive 3-1 away win at Brentford last Saturday, it’s back to Blundell Park this weekend against lowly Tranmere Rovers - yet another "winnable" game - though I said that about the Stockport match.....!!
Home > 2003-2004 Season > Previews > Tranmere (h) |
Tranmere have had a somewhat torrid start to their third consecutive season in division two. This saw their manager, Ray Mathias sacked at the start of October after getting only three wins in Rovers first 15 matches - culminating in a 6-0 capitulation to Plymouth. They were in the bottom four at that stage in the season, and though only a few places higher now, they have improved since the appointment of Brian Little. Wins over Port Vale, Oldham, Swindon and Chesterfield have created a bit of stability for the Prenton Park side, who were expected to be challenging for the play offs at the start of the year.
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| There are many ex Town heroes who have played for Tranmere as well, none bigger than Italian Ivano Bonetti who played for Town in the 1995/96 season, where his appearances for the Mariners coincided with Town sitting in second place in the division one table in November that year. Then came the "flying chicken incident" and the rest, as they say, is history! The season after that he signed for Tranmere before a brief spell with Crystal Palace before he took over as player/manager of Dundee. Danny Coyne started his career with Tranmere until he moved to Town on a bosman transfer in 1999. Georges Santos began his career in England with Tranmere, where he made 45 appearances before a £250,000 switch to WBA. Current Town midfielder Iain Anderson had a loan spell with Rovers last season where he scored 2 goals in seven games at the end of last season. No doubt the Tranmere full backs will be fully aware of his ability from both flanks!
| Last Time Out
| The last time the two sides came face to face was over two years ago when the two sides were battling it out at the foot of the division one table, when Town won 3-1. The Mariners found themselves 1-0 down at half time when Tranmere scored through Jason Koumas, until Lennie Lawrence threw on Luke Cornwall and Steve Livingstone with devastating effect. In 8 mad moments, Cornwall grabbed a brace and Livvo scored too, a win that greatly helped Towns survival hopes.
Town Team: Coyne, McDermott, Gallimore, Groves, Handyside, Coldicott, Pouton (Willems), Campbell, Clare (Cornwall), Jeffrey (Livingstone), Donovan.
Tranmere Team: : Achteberg (Murphy), Kenna, Roberts, Allen, Osborn, Yates, Flynn, Koumas, Mellon, Parkinson (Barlow), N’Diaye (Taylor)
Attendance: 5,816 Report Tranmere Head-to-Head (19th on The Opposition Ladder).
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