Harrogate Town AFC

Simon Weaver takes us back to the Wirral tomorrow evening as we get face Tranmere Rovers, the opponents we faced back in August for our first ever competitive fixture as a Football League side.



Since our last meeting

Tranmere's 1-0 win at The Envirovent Stadium was their first game after they parted company with Mike Jackson. Following the game, Keith Hill took charge and since then he has overseen a return of 23 points from 12 games.

The run, which includes seven victories, has seen Rovers climb to tenth in the table and within two points of the playoff positions and they come into the game on the back of a four-game unbeaten run including the 2-1 home win against Bolton last Saturday.

At home, Rovers have won six and loss five of their 11 games to date.

The man in charge

Since hanging up his boots, 51 year-old Hill has held the managerial reigns at Rochdale (where he had two spells as manager), Barnsley and Bolton before taking the job at Prenton Park.

Prior to this, in a 16-year playing career Hill made over 400 appearances for Blackburn, Plymouth, Rochdale, Cheltenham, Wrexham and Morecambe.
 
Ones to Watch

Former Everton man James Vaughan is enjoying a purple patch of late and has netted 12 times so far this season.

One-time Liverpool midfielder Jay Spearing anchors the midfield for Rovers, while Liam Feeney, on loan from Blackpool, has four assists.

Another veteran, 39 year-old Peter Clarke, provides stability to the back line and has also popped up with three goals.

Rovers have added just one new face in the January window so far with midfielder Nya Kirby arriving in a loan move from Crystal Palace.

History

Rovers have had plenty to shout about during their existence, most recently the late-1980's saw their rise through the divisions under John King following a period in the lower reaches.

The early-1990's saw them climb up to Championship level, propelled by an attacking line-up featuring the likes of John Aldridge, Ian Muir, John Morrissey and Chris Malkin, with Aldridge being appointed as manager in 1995.

Their recent heyday culminated in an appearance in the League Cup final in 2000 that saw them narrowly defeated by Leicester City.

Relegations soon followed though, and Rovers would drop out of the league at the end of the 2014/15 season.

A fantastic second half to the 2017/18 season culminated in ten-man Rovers defeating Boreham Wood in the National League play-off final, before a second successive promotion was secured just a year later with a 1-0 win over Newport County.

Team News

Town have Warren Burrell back in contention for a place in the starting line-up following his one-game suspension, though Lloyd Kerry serves the final game of his.

Mitchell Roberts, Dan Jones, Joe Cracknell and Mark Beck remain on the sidelines, while Will Smith edges closer to a return.

How to Follow

Our streaming service will continue to operate for the 2020/21 season and beyond, meaning you can continue to watch every one of our fixtures live for just £10 each.

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