Peterborough United will play host to Doncaster Rovers on Saturday as the teams battle for a place in the FA Cup third round.
Saturday's meeting is just the second FA Cup tie between the two sides, with the hosts coming out on top in the second round of the 1982-83 competition and heading into the weekend as favourites at home to fourth-tier opposition.
Match preview
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Following a disappointing second-round exit at the hands of Shrewsbury Town last year, Peterborough United began their new FA Cup campaign in the first round in November with the aim of putting a more impressive run together, reminiscent of their journey to the fifth round in the 2021-22 campaign.
For the second consecutive season, the Posh met fourth-tier Salford City at that stage, and the tie again required a second leg to be settled, as they only managed a 2-2 draw on home turf thanks to Emmanuel Fernandez's 93rd-minute equaliser.
A trip to the Peninsula Stadium then followed, and Darren Ferguson's men eventually prevailed in a penalty shootout after an eventful contest ended in a 4-4 draw, with Joel Randall, Ephron Mason-Clark and Archie Collins scoring in normal time and Jonson Clarke-Harris forcing the shootout with a leveller in the third added minute at the end of extra time.
Having then suffered an EFL Trophy defeat to Colchester United, the Posh now return to FA Cup action on the back of a positive pair of results in their League One promotion bid, having firstly thrashed Burton Albion 4-0 on home turf last weekend, thanks to goals from Randall, Mason-Clark and Kwame Poku and a Cole Stockton own goal, before most recently taking a creditable point from a 2-2 draw away at fourth-placed Stevenage on Tuesday with Randall and Ronnie Edwards scoring in the second half to level the contest.
Now sitting fifth in England's third tier in the midst of an impressive run, Peterborough will turn their focus back to the FA Cup and bid to reach the third round with a more comfortable triumph at the weekend.
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In their way stand a Doncaster Rovers side led by former Posh boss Grant McCann, with the visitors vying for a third-round spot for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign.
The Yorkshire outfit also began their cup journey in the first round last month, and squaring up against fellow fourth-tier outfit Accrington Stanley, the tie went to a replay away from home following a 2-2 draw at the Eco-Power Stadium.
That replay also went to extra time following a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes, in which Zain Westbrook drew the Rovers level 23 minutes from time, before Joe Ironside settled the tie with the only goal in extra time to punch his side's ticket into the second round.
On the back of that triumph, McCann's men would then suffer a narrow League Two defeat away at Crewe Alexandra, but they do now head into the weekend on the back of a return to winning ways in midweek, as they climbed up to 17th spot in the fourth tier with a 3-1 triumph at home to Colchester United thanks to goals from Modou Faal and Ironside after Tom Smith's first-half own goal.
Now putting their disappointing start to the league campaign on hold, with a degree of confidence back on their side, Doncaster Rovers will travel south on Saturday with the aim of pulling off a major upset and dumping the third-tier high-flyers out of the FA Cup to book their own spot in the third round.
Team News
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As he did for the trip to Salford City in the previous round, Darren Ferguson will likely opt to deploy a full-strength Peterborough United starting XI for Saturday's cup tie in their preferred 4-2-3-1 shape, with Peter Kioso, Josh Knight, Ronnie Edwards and Harrison Burrows set to line up in an unchanged back four in front of Nicholas Bilokapic.
At the other end of the pitch, Ricky-Jade Jones has tended to be preferred over experienced front man Jonson Clarke-Harris in attack, and he should again get the nod at the weekend while further attacking support is provided by dangerous wingers Ephron Mason-Clark and Kwame Poku, having netted nine and eight goals respectively across all competitions so far this term.
Joel Randall will likely complete the supporting trio, having scored in each of his last three appearances across league and cup action to take his own tally to six for the season, while Archie Collins should again join Hector Kyprianou at the base of the midfield.
Grant McCann is expected to field a similar Doncaster Rovers starting XI on Saturday from their midweek triumph over Colchester United, with Modou Faal and Joe Ironside again set to spearhead the attack in a 3-5-2 system having both got on the scoresheet in that game.
Those goals took Fall and Ironside's tallies to eight and 11 respectively in all competitions so far this season, while midfielders Ben Close and Harrison Biggins have also chipped in going forward with four goals apiece, and Biggins will fight to return from the start after settling for a substitute appearance last time out.
He will hope to join Close and Tommy Rowe in the engine room, despite competition from Owen Bailey and George Broadbent, while 38-year-old summer arrival Richard Wood will continue at the heart of a back three, likely alongside Tom Anderson and Joseph Olowu after Jack Senior was forced off in the first half of the Colchester triumph.
Peterborough United possible starting lineup:
Bilokapic; Kioso, Knight, Edwards, Burrows; Kyprianou, Collins; Poku, Randall, Mason-Clark; Jones
Doncaster Rovers possible starting lineup:
Jones; Anderson, Wood, Olowu; Nixon, Biggins, Close, Rowe, Maxwell; Ironside, Faal
We say: Peterborough United 3-1 Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers do have the quality to challenge their higher opposition away from home, but in what we see as an intriguing contest, the Posh should have too much, particularly in attack, and we fancy them to come out on top and advance to the third round.
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Top tip
Sam Varley
