The first round of the FA Cup will see a Merseyside-Greater Manchester affair, when Tranmere Rovers welcome Oldham Athletic to Prenton Park on Saturday.
In what was a second-tier fixture in the 1990s, both have fallen a long way since, with Tranmere still just about an EFL club after returning a few years ago, and Oldham now in non-league.
Match preview
© Imago
After an underwhelming 2023-24 campaign which saw Tranmere go backwards and finish 16th, their prospects do not look much better this time around in League Two, as they find themselves 19th.
Rovers are the only team yet to reach double figures for goals in the division, and having taken only 14 points from a possible 39 on offer, they are fortunate the current bottom two have been very poor so far.
A 3-1 loss at Crewe Alexandra last weekend was a third defeat in four games, and with pressure mounting on manager Nigel Adkins, using the cups as a springboard to better form across all competitions could be key.
Tranmere will face Stockport County in the EFL Trophy next week knowing they will progress to the knockout round if they avoid defeat, and the hosts will look to go into that game on the back of reaching the second round of the FA Cup.
The second round is as far as they got in the EFL Cup, beating Accrington Stanley comfortably in the first round, before succumbing to Premier League Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
While the EFL Cup brought Tranmere one of their finest days, reaching the final in 2000, the FA Cup has not been quite as successful for them, with quarter-final appearances in 1999-00 and 2003-04 their best finishes.
Meanwhile, Oldham will be looking to get beyond the first round after being eliminated at this stage in each of the last three seasons.
![Manny Monthe is playing during the Pre-season Friendly match between Oldham Athletic and Stockport County at Boundary Park in Oldham, England, on July 13, 2024 [on August 18, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/33/manny-monthe.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Manny Monthe is playing during the Pre-season Friendly match between Oldham Athletic and Stockport County at Boundary Park in Oldham, England, on July 13, 2024 [on August 18, 2024]")
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They were semi-finalists in 1990 and 1994, losing to Manchester United on both occasions, but the club has plummeted from the second tier to non-league since.
Now led by former Tranmere player and manager Micky Mellon, Oldham are among the contenders to be promoted from the National League this season, following a fine start that sees them currently sit fifth, just five points behind leaders York City.
After beating Halifax 4-2 in FA Cup qualifying, Oldham have gone on to win seven points from their last three league games, after beating Dagenham & Redbridge 1-0 at the weekend thanks to Mike Fondop's solitary goal.
In a first FA Cup meeting between these sides in 31 years, Oldham quickly sold out their away allocation for the short trip to Merseyside as they seek to avenge the replay defeat they suffered in that last encounter.
The two clubs last shared a division in the 2021-22 campaign, when Tranmere completed a league double over Oldham without conceding, as the Latics suffered relegation to the National League that season.
Team News
![Oldham Athletic Manager Micky Mellon is managing during the Pre-season Friendly match between Oldham Athletic and Stockport County at Boundary Park in Oldham, England, on July 13, 2024. [on August 18, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/33/micky-mellon.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Oldham Athletic Manager Micky Mellon is managing during the Pre-season Friendly match between Oldham Athletic and Stockport County at Boundary Park in Oldham, England, on July 13, 2024. [on August 18, 2024]")
© Imago
Tranmere are set to be without both Declan Drysdale and Saidou Khan due to injury here, but Sam Finley could return after being struck down with illness last week.
Sam Taylor can count himself unlucky to have been left out of the starting XI in recent weeks, but may be drafted in here, while Josh Hawkes was not included in the matchday squad at all against Crewe for unspecified reasons.
Oldham will be without Josh Kay after he was sent off late on in the league win over Dagenham last weekend, while Joe Garner and James Norwood are doubts in attack due to injury, just as the club saw fellow striker Jack Stretton called back early from his loan from Stockport.
Therefore, the main threat is set to come from Fondop once again,
as only four players have netted more than the Oldham man in the National League so far this season.
Tranmere Rovers possible starting lineup:
Murphy; Norman, Davies, Walker, Turnbull, Bradshaw; Jennings, O'Connor, Merrie; Patrick, Taylor
Oldham Athletic possible starting lineup:
Hudson; Ogle, Monthe, Raglan, Kitching; Caprice, Lundstram, Payne, Conlon; Fondop, Drummond
We say: Tranmere Rovers 1-2 Oldham Athletic
Despite being in the league below, Oldham are only nine places behind Tranmere in the football pyramid, and bring much more form and confidence into this one than their hosts.
Recent years have shown that those at the top of the National League are often stronger than those struggling at the bottom of League Two, and that could be proven again here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
