Preview: Plymouth Argyle vs. Fleetwood Town - prediction, team news, lineups

The Pilgrims sit two points ahead of second-placed Sheffield Wednesday and eight points clear of the chasing pack in the race for automatic promotion thanks to back-to-back wins, while their visitors have improved their position in the fight at the other end of the division with a pair of victories of their own.

Match preview

Plymouth Argyle find themselves in an enviable position in their quest for promotion to the Championship this season, having built up an eight-point lead over third place in England's third tier.

That even comes after a defeat away at promotion rivals Sheffield Wednesday earlier in February, when Steven Schumacher's side dropped to second spot behind the Owls and saw an eight-match unbeaten run come to an end as Callum Paterson netted the only goal early on at Hillsborough.

Since that loss, the Pilgrims have bounced back in impressive fashion, firstly dishing out a 3-1 beating at home to Portsmouth last Saturday to move back to the summit of the division as Sam Cosgrove, Finn Azaz and Ryan Hardie got on the scoresheet, before they triumphed by the same scoreline away at Oxford United most recently on Tuesday.

Matt Butcher put them ahead inside the first 20 minutes, and after Cameron Brannagan drew the hosts level, Saxon Earley restored Plymouth's lead and Hardie added a third in the dying minutes to ensure his side put a 20th notch in their wins column at the 31st attempt.

While they have played a game more than Sheffield Wednesday, who sit two points worse off, Schumacher's men will certainly be encouraged by their lead over the chasing pack, and now sitting eight points ahead of third-placed Bolton Wanderers with a game in hand, they will aim to further strengthen their claim for a return to England's second tier with a third straight three-point haul at the weekend.

They meet a Fleetwood Town side who will also travel with confidence, having improved their position in the fight for survival in recent weeks.

After putting 29 points on the board in their opening 24 League One matches, Fleetwood would quickly drop into the mix at the bottom of the division as they suffered four consecutive defeats between mid-January and early February, before rebuilding some confidence with a 1-0 victory at home to Sheffield Wednesday in their FA Cup fourth-round replay to book a round-of-16 tie with Championship leaders Burnley.

Aiming to build on that result and improve their hopes of survival, Scott Brown's side returned to league action away at Charlton Athletic last weekend and successfully put a seventh three-point haul of the season on the board as Shaun Rooney and Harrison Holgate fired them to a 2-1 win, before the Cod Army faced another tough test at home to playoff-chasing Peterborough United on Tuesday.

Brown's side would again come out on top in that contest, as they preserved a 1-0 lead after Promise Omochere's 20th-minute goal, with the Lancashire outfit having quickly climbed to 17th spot in England's third tier thanks to their upturn in form.

Now with a five-point lead over the drop zone, the Cod Army will hope to pull off an upset at Home Park and take another major scalp at the weekend to further increase their cushion.

Plymouth Argyle League One form:

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W

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Plymouth Argyle form (all competitions):

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Fleetwood Town League One form:

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W

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Fleetwood Town form (all competitions):

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D

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Team News

Following their impressive display and result last time out, Plymouth Argyle may come into Saturday's contest unchanged, with Ryan Hardie bound to lead the line after hitting his 11 league goal of the season on Tuesday.

He should again be joined by Birmingham City loanee Sam Cosgrove up front, with Finn Azaz set to offer further attacking support, while Saxon Earley and Bali Mumba will also get forward from wing-back roles.

Schumacher should stick with an unaltered back three of Nigel Lonwijk, James Wilson and Macauley Gillesphey in front of Callum Burton, who has filled in between the sticks since first-choice stopper Michael Cooper sustained an injury.

Fleetwood could also come in unchanged after another victory last time out, although January arrival Jack Marriott is vying to break into the starting XI after fellow new signing Jayden Stockley was chosen to lead the line on Tuesday.

Promise Omochere should certainly keep his place in the attack after his winning goal against Peterborough, while Carlos Mendes Gomes is fighting to feature on the other flank, having netted a team-high tally of seven goals so far this campaign including five in England's third tier.

Elsewhere, Lewis Warrington will continue to play a key role in the midfield, while Harrison Holgate and Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu will again partner up in the middle of a back four.

Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:

Burton; Lonwijk, Wilson, Gillesphey; Mumba, Matete, Butcher, Earley; Azaz; Cosgrove, Hardie

Fleetwood Town possible starting lineup:

Lynch; Rooney, Holgate, Sarpong-Wiredu, Ndaba; Macadam, Robertson, Warrington; Omochere, Stockley, Marriott

We say: Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Fleetwood Town

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