Stockport County travel to Prenton Park to take on Tranmere Rovers in League Two on Tuesday night, with the away side looking for their fourth league win on the bounce.
The home side are in opposite form, hoping to put right a three-game winless run.
Match preview
© Reuters
Tranmere went on a great run starting in September, winning five league games in a row without conceding a single goal, but their form has dipped in recent matches, drawing twice before losing 2-0 to Carlisle United at the weekend.
Krystian Dennis continued his good scoring form to the detriment of the Super White Army, bagging the lead for his side in the first minute of the game before adding a second early on in the second half to ensure that the Blues ran out comfortable winners.
The result leaves Rovers 11th in the standings, still only three points off the playoffs, but it will be a tough one to take considering that Carlisle leapfrogged them into seventh in the process.
Prior to that, Micky Mellon's side were unlucky not to beat Rochdale, dominating the game and registering 16 shots compared to Rochdale's six, but despite Jordan Turnbull rattling the crossbar in the second half, they were unable to make their opponents pay.
Tranmere still boast the joint-second best defensive record in the league, only shipping 13 goals so far this season, but they will need to improve down the other end of the pitch if they are to get anything from Tuesday's game, with Stockport in red-hot form.
With ex-Tranmere player Dave Challinor at the helm, Stockport have managed to turn around their poor start to the season in recent times, now up to 14th, six points off the playoffs and looking well-adjusted to life back in the EFL.
Having won their last three league games without conceding a goal, the Hatters are putting in the type of performances that many expected them to after winning promotion to League Two last season, particularly impressive in a 1-0 victory away at playoff-chasing Bradford City.
More recently however, County have proven that they can do it at Edgeley Park too, doing what Tranmere could not by defeating Carlisle 2-0, and also running out 3-0 winners over Sutton United at the weekend.
In fairness, a third-minute Omar Bugiel red card for Sutton handed the Hatters a major advantage, but they made no mistake in romping home to victory, with Kyle Wootton, Patrick Madden and Will Collar all getting on the scoresheet.
With it now becoming apparent that Challinor's men have finally clicked, they will head into Tuesday's game full of confidence that they can make it four-straight league wins.
Team News
© Reuters
Mellon withdrew Chris Merrie after the first half at the weekend, with the manager seemingly unimpressed with his performance, and so the substitute that replaced him, Jon Nolan, may be in contention to start on Tuesday night.
The Tranmere boss has otherwise stuck by his players in recent matches, naming the same starting eleven in the previous four league games, while also opting not to make a single substitute against Rochdale, indicating that he wants to have a settled side.
Dynel Simeu and Jordan Turnbull have developed a good partnership at centre-back, both starting in the last ten league games, while full-backs Josh Dacres-Cogley and Ethan Bristow have started every League two game this season, with the same back four very likely to play again.
For Stockport, Madden and Wootton have proven to be a good partnership in attack recently, now on nine league goals between them this season, and the duo are set to start on Tuesday night.
The signing of former Tranmere left-back Callum MacDonald coincides with County's change in form, with the side winning every game that he has started in, and losing the only one where he featured as a substitute, a 3-1 defeat to Grimsby Town.
Tranmere Rovers possible starting lineup:
Doohan; Dacres-Cogley, Turnbull, Simeu, Bristow; Morris, Nolan, O'Connor, Hawkes; Nevitt, Hemmings
Stockport County possible starting lineup:
Hinchcliffe; Wright, Horsfall, Hussey; Brown, Collar, Croasdale, Hippolyte, MacDonald; Madden, Wootton
We say: Tranmere Rovers 0-1 Stockport County
Stockport have really started to turn their season around, and we think that they will continue their great run of form here, particularly given the fact that Tranmere have struggled in their last three matches. Prenton Park is not an easy place to go though, so we think that the away side will win by a narrow margin.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
England
Iran
USA
Wales
