Aiming to jump back out of the bottom two in the League Two table, Forest Green Rovers will travel to the Eco-Power Stadium to take on Doncaster Rovers on Saturday.
The visitors dropped back into the relegation zone on Saturday but only trail Colchester United on goal difference, while their hosts have moved clear of the threat of the drop with an upturn in form in recent weeks.
Match preview
© Reuters
In what has certainly been a tough campaign in League Two, Doncaster Rovers now find themselves in the midst of an improved run under the management of Grant McCann, having moved well clear of the threat of relegation in the last month.
The Yorkshire outfit won just eight of their first 29 matches in England's fourth tier this term, collecting 29 points across those games, and after three straight defeats and a disappointing draw with strugglers Sutton United in early February, Rovers have since put five more victories and 17 points on the board in just eight further attempts.
After seeing off Tranmere Rovers, Grimsby Town and AFC Wimbledon in a four-match span, their momentum was briefly halted by a 3-1 loss away at Walsall and a 1-1 draw with Bradford City, but McCann's men now return to action having again managed back-to-back three-point hauls.
They would return to winning ways in impressive fashion at home to promotion-chasing Crewe Alexandra, picking up a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Hakeeb Adelakun and Tommy Rowe, before most recently travelling to take on Swindon Town on Saturday and leaving with all three points from a 2-1 triumph, as Maxime Biamou and Adelakun had them two goals ahead inside the opening 30 minutes.
Having leapfrogged Swindon with that result and moved up to 18th spot, 13 points above the drop zone and just four behind Tranmere Rovers, Accrington Stanley and Bradford City, Doncaster Rovers will bid to continue their climb with a third straight league win on Saturday.
© Reuters
They meet a visiting side who do currently occupy a spot in the bottom two, 13 points worse off than McCann's team, and who will bid to move out of the drop zone at the weekend.
Steve Cotterill took the reins as Forest Green Rovers boss in late January, inheriting a side who sat well adrift of safety on just 17 points from 21 matches, and after enduring a slow start to his own tenure, he has been able to lead an improved survival bid in the last month.
In their last eight League Two outings since mid-February, the Green have picked up four victories, doubling their tally for the season, while putting 13 points on the board to close the gap to safety, and they were able to leap out of the bottom two thanks to back-to-back 2-0 victories over Walsall and Bradford City, with Christian Doidge netting both goals against the latter.
Then heading into the weekend with the aim of keeping themselves out of the drop zone, Cotterill's men met basement side Sutton United in a true six-pointer at the New Lawn and came away empty-handed in disappointing fashion, suffering a 1-0 defeat as Josh Coley netted the only goal before the interval.
Such a result saw Forest Green Rovers drop back into 23rd spot, and while they do only trail Colchester United on goal difference, they face a tricky final schedule with meetings again promotion-chasers Stockport County, Crewe Alexandra, MK Dons, Mansfield Town and Wrexham following Saturday's contest and will be desperate to move back out of the bottom two with a return to winning ways on their travels.
Team News
© Reuters
Following last weekend's 2-1 away victory over Swindon Town, Grant McCann may opt to field an unchanged Doncaster Rovers starting XI on Saturday, with Maxime Biamou again set to lead the line having scored in his first start for the club last time out after arriving on a short-term deal in March.
That is in the absence of top scorer Joe Ironside through injury, and winger Hakeeb Adelakun has filled the attacking void impressively since his January loan move from Lincoln City, netting five goals and contributing four assists in 10 League Two appearances.
While experienced midfielder Tommy Rowe will fight to come back in from the outset, McCann could stick with the trio of George Broadbent, Harrison Biggins and Owen Bailey in the engine room, while veteran Richard Wood will continue alongside Tom Anderson at the heart of a back four.
Following their 2-0 win away at Bradford, Steve Cotterill deployed an unchanged Forest Green Rovers starting XI against Sutton United last time out, and he is again unlikely to make many alterations despite their defeat, although Richard Keogh may be called upon from the start to provide experience in a back three.
With top scorer Mathew Stevens having been sidelined by injury since mid-February, their line will again be led by Tyrese Omotoye and Christian Doidge, who has netted three goals since his return to the club on loan from Hibernian in January.
Kyle McAllister will lend further support to the front two in an advanced midfield role, while 21-year-old Charlie McCann continues to play a key role in the engine room.
Doncaster Rovers possible starting lineup:
Lo-Tutala; Sterry, Anderson, Wood, Senior; Broadbent, Bailey, Biggins; Molyneux, Biamou, Adelakun
Forest Green Rovers possible starting lineup:
Reyes; Inniss, Keogh, Moore-Taylor; Thompson, Osadebe, McCann, Robson; McAllister; Doidge, Omotoye
We say: Doncaster Rovers 2-0 Forest Green Rovers
Facing a tough final run of fixtures, Forest Green Rovers will be desperate to boost their survival hopes with a win on Saturday, but they meet Doncaster at a bad time with McCann's men growing in confidence, and we see the hosts being too strong at the weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
