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Match Previews

MATCH PREVIEW - A closer look at our South Yorkshire hosts

16 December 2022

Town are set to make the short trip to South Yorkshire this weekend in what will be the first ever league fixture with Doncaster Rovers.

It will be a familiar setting for Simon Weaver and his side though as the Eco Power Stadium hosted the opening home fixtures of Town's life in the EFL back in 2020.

Our opponents

This is the first season in League Two for Rovers for six seasons after their relegation a season ago, and like their previous time in the bottom tier they will be hoping for an immediate return back to League One.

They currently sit in tenth place in the table, but lie only two points outside of the playoff positions. They have won five and lost four of their 10 games at home so far this season.

They had a positive opening to the season, going unbeaten in their opening six games. However, have had a change of manager during the campaign with Danny Schofield replacing Gary McSheffrey.

The club also exited the FA Cup at the first hurdle at the hands of Kings Lynn Town.

The man in charge

Danny Schofield made the jump to the managers seat from the Academy Coach position at Huddersfield Town this summer, being in charge during Town's pre-season clash with the Terriers.

However, after a tricky start to the season he was replaced but bounced back a month later when he was appointed as Rovers boss. He was won three of his eight games in charge so far.

Schofield made almost 400 appearances in the Football League, most notably for Huddersfield Town, before finishing his career with three seasons in non-league football.

Ones to watch

Former Walsall man George Miller tops the scoring charts so far, netting nine times at a rate of a goal every other game. The 24 year old has also tallied two assists. Fellow forward and former Fleetwood-man Harrison Biggins has hit three times so far.

Ex-Town loanee Josh Andrews is on loan at the club until next January and could feature in the match.

Former Leeds, Huddersfield and Middlesbrough man Adam Clayton will be an integral part of the midfield with Ro-Shaun Williams and Kevin Knoyle ever present in a defensive unit in front of Jonathan Mitchell.

If fit, Schofield will rely on the creative talents of Luke Molyneux and Rovers also hope to have Tom Anderson and Joseph Oluwu back available this weekend.

Recent history

After being founded back in 1879 the club were elected to the Football League in 1901, however lost re-election votes soon after and returned to non-league before finally re-joining the Football League in 1923.

The club would go on to win Third Division North titles in the mid-1930's and late 1940's, bouncing between the bottom two tiers from the 1960's onwards before suffering relegation out of the league in 1998.

It took the club five seasons to get back into the EFL, then securing an immediate promotion from League Two before winning the League One playoffs in 2007 to reach the second tier for the first time in their history.

Rovers spent five seasons in the Championship, but fell back to the bottom tier in 2016, securing an immediate return to League One before dropping back to League Two for the 2022/23 season.

The club have played at the Eco Power Stadium since 2007 following their move from Belle Vue.

Team news

Town's continue to have Will Smith, Dior Angus, Stephen Dooley, Matty Daly and Lewis Richards on the sidelines but will hope to have Max Wright back in contention after his pre-season injury that has curtailed his season so far.

Simon Weaver will also have both Jack Muldoon and Alex Pattison back from injury and Joe Mattock will be available after missing our last match against Rochdale due to suspension.


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