Bristol Roversvs.Wrexham

Ahead of this weekend's match, the Gas have lost their last two games and have failed to score in their last four, while the Red Dragons will be disappointed to have drawn with Cambridge United on December 14 given they had won the previous five matches in all competitions.

Match preview

Once again, first-team coach David Horseman will take charge of the Gas in his interim manager role, though it has been reported that Rovers are close to appointing a replacement for Matt Taylor, who was sacked this week following his leave of absence.

The new boss will be primarily concerned with keeping the club in League One this season, though it will be no small task considering the Gas sit 20th in the table - just two points ahead of Crawley Town in the relegation zone - after picking up 21 points from their 19 games so far.

Last time out, Rovers lost 2-0 on the road to Birmingham City, a match in which they were thoroughly dominated by their opponents, conceded two first-half goals, and managed just one shot on target while facing eight.

Similarly, on December 3, Horseman's side conceded three first-half goals against Leyton Orient during a 3-0 loss in which they produced zero shots on target and faced nine.

In fact, Rovers have only scored in one of their last five league games, a stretch that featured one win, one draw and three consecutive losses leading up to this weekend.

This dire form has put Rovers' status in the division at risk, and if the incoming manager is to save the club from relegation, then they must find a way to improve the Gas' offensive output given that only two League One clubs have netted fewer goals this season.

In stark contrast, Phil Parkinson's Wrexham are currently third in the table, having earned 41 points from their 20 games this term.

Heading into their most recent fixture against Garry Monk's Cambridge, the Red Dragons were on an impressive winning streak and had not conceded since mid-November when they lost 1-0 to Stockport County.

Notably, Wrexham have the best defensive record in League One having conceded 13 goals this term, three fewer than the next-best side.

With this in mind, Parkinson will be particularly disappointed that his side conceded twice in a 2-2 draw with Monk's 23rd-placed team, a result that means they now sit two points behind league leaders Wycombe Wanderers.

This weekend, Wrexham will be up against another relegation candidate, and the Red Dragons will be desperate to take all three points to stay within touching distance of the top of the table.

Bristol Rovers League One form:

D

D

W

L

L

L

Bristol Rovers form (all competitions):

D

W

L

W

L

L

Wrexham League One form:

L

W

W

W

W

D

Wrexham form (all competitions):

W

W

W

W

W

D

Team News

Interim boss Horseman has made many changes to lineup during his short time in charge, and this weekend captain Scott Sinclair may return to the Gas' starting lineup after featuring on the bench against Birmingham last time out.

Ahead of what is likely to be the first-team coach's last game as manager, Horseman spoke about how he has been training his side to create more chances, so expect Gatlin O'Donkor, Shaqai Forde and striker Chris Martin to feature against Wrexham as part of an attacking XI.

As for the Red Dragons, manager Parkinson has mentioned that George Evans is back in contention for the games over the festive period after training and playing in a reserve match against Salford City.

The versatile midfielder could play alongside Oliver Rathbone and Matty James, who recently signed a new contract extension, in the middle of the park.

Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:

Griffiths; Forbes, Wilson, Taylor, Senior; Conteh, Lindsay; Forde, O'Donkor, Sinclair; Martin

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Howard; Cleworth, O'Connell, Brunt; Barnett, Evans, James, Rathbone, McClean; Lee, Palmer

We say: Bristol Rovers 0-2 Wrexham

With the Gas struggling to create many opportunities of late, it is difficult to see them scoring against League One's strongest defence.

Written by

Anthony Nolan

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