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Northampton Town Team Profile:
Formed: 1897
Ground: Sixfields
Manager: Stuart Gray
Nickname: The Cobblers
Season Finish 2006/07: 14th (Coca-Cola League One)
Previous Meetings:
It was a win and a draw against the Cobblers for Tranmere when the two sides met last season, with Rovers picking up an away win at Sixfields and a 1-1 draw at Prenton Park later on in the season.
The two sides first met on September 16th in Northampton and Ronnie Moore saw his side pick up an excellent 3-1 away win despite missing key striker Chris Greenacre.
Rovers took the lead after 14-minutes when Calvin Zola expertly curled the ball into the bottom right corner from near the edge of the area before Gareth Taylor doubled Tranmere's lead with a header from Chris Shuker's cross on 35-minutes.
After half-time John Mullin put Tranmere 3-0 up with a penalty infront of the travelling Super White Army after a Brett Johnson handball before Scott McGleish got a consulation goal for Northampton after 74-minutes, but this was all the Sixfields side could manage.
A few months later after the turn of the New Year Northampton travelled to Prenton Park and picked up a good away point with a 1-1 draw on the Wirral.
Rovers, looking to push on towards the top of the table after a dissapointing run of form in the league started poorly and Northampton took the lead after just 11 minutes, McGleish again the scorer after Joe Hart's goalkick hit the striker on the back and after leaving it very late, John Mullin got an 87th minute equaliser for the Super Whites, the midfielder netting a re-bound after his innitial penalty was saved by goalkeeper Bunn.
Vital Stats:
In 17 trips to the Wirral, Northampton have beaten Tranmere just three times
In 34 meetings between the two sides there have been an impressive 96 goals
In three previous meetings between the two sides in September, there has been a win for each side as well as a draw
None of the previous three games in September between the two sides have been at Prenton Park
There have only ever been two 0-0 draws between the two sides
On This Day, 29th September:
2001: Rovers win 2-0 away to Colchester United in their first season back in Division Two, now League One
1989: A strong Tranmere side defeats Bristol City 6-0 in Division Three at Prenton Park
1965: The Super Whites defeat Wrexham 5-1 at the Racecourse in Division Four
The Form Book:
Tranmere last six games: DWWLDW
Northampton last six games: WDWLDL
Last season, Northampton Town were one of the teams to be feared on the road in League One as they regularly picked up more points away from home than at their Sixfields Stadium.
However, this season they are yet to register a victory on the road as they have conceeded a dissapointing nine goals in five league and cup away games. Up to now though, they have only lost one of their three league away games.
The Cobblers started the season in the league with a home fixture against Swindon and started solidly with a 1-1 draw before beating Millwall 2-0 at home in the Carling Cup First Round.
However, this win was followed by a five match winless streak, evan at this point of the season, as Northampton made a difficult start to the season.
Next up, Northampton lost 2-1 to Brighton at the Withdean Stadium before Yeovil Town travelled north to the Sixfields stadium at beat the Cobblers by the same scoreline.
Next up was a 2-0 away defeat to Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup before they picked up a highly creditable 2-2 at Brisbane Road against Leyton Orient, Hubertz and Doig putting Northampton 2-0 up before Orient levelled the game after half-time with goals from Chambers and Mkandawire.
Their next game was in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy First Round, and, like Tranmere, Northampton fell at the first stage as they were defeated 2-0 by League One rivals Luton Town.
Back in the league and Northampton picked up their first win since the second game of the season against Doncaster Rovers on 7th September thanks to second half goals from Gilligan and Kirk before picking up another good result, this time on the road, as they drew 1-1 at Dean Court against Bournemouth.
In their most recent game, against Huddersfield Town, Northampton won 3-0 at Sixfields thanks to goals from Hubertz, Holt and Kirk.
Northampton come into this fixture lying in eleventh place in the League One table having picked up nine points from their opening seven games. They have so far played three away league games, losing one and drawing two. They have picked up two points from an available nine.
Tranmere meanwhile have had a great start to the season in the league and they go into this fixture unbeaten in their last six league fixtures.
After a defeat on the opening day of the season to Leeds United (2-1), Rovers have picked themselves up and managed four league wins in the six games since, a run which has pushed them up to second in the table and left them just two points behind league leaders Leyton Orient.
Following the Leeds defeat, Tranmere's next game in the league was Gillingham away at the Priestfield Stadium where goals from Chris Greenacre and Steve Davies helped Ronnie Moore's side to a 2-0 victory and seven days later, at Prenton Park, Rovers defeated Brighton by the same scoreline, Chris Shuker joining Greenacre on the scoresheet, the later getting his third league goal in as many games.
Back on the road, Tranmere travelled to Yeovil and then Carlisle on consecutive weekends and despite a number of injury troubles, a 96th minute free-kick from Davies earned Rovers a 1-1 draw at Huish Park before a first half from substitute Craig Curran, his first of the season, earned Tranmere an excellent 1-0 win at Carlisle United.
Back on the Wirral and facing Luton Town, Rovers left it late to come from behind and beat the Hatters 2-1 thanks to goals from Curran and Kay before in their most recent fixture Rovers drew 1-1 away at Cheltenham, Greenacre getting the Tranmere goal.
However, Rovers have suffered first round exits in both the cup competitions this season, losing 1-0 away to Stockport County in the Carling Cup and losing to league newcomers Morecambe by the same scoreline at Prenton Park in the Johnstone's Paints Trophy.
From three home league games so far this season, Tranmere have picked up two wins to go with one defeat, resulting in them picking up six points from an available nine.
Double Hit:
Winger Sam Aiston spent one season at Tranmere Rovers in Brian Little's final year in charge of the club before moving to Northampton on a free-transfer at the start of last season.
Aiston started his career with Newcastle but after failing to break into the first team with the Magpies, he made the move few players make as he joined arch rivals Sunderland.
Just 24 appearances were made for the Black Cats in five years at the Stadium of Light to go with loan spells at Chester (x2), Stoke and Shrewsbury before he signed for Shrewsbury on a permanent deal for £50,000 in July 2000.
Five years at Shrewsbury followed as he made 181 appearances for the Shrews before joining Tranmere on a free-transfer in July 2005 under then manager Brian Little.
With good work rate but a lack of a decent cross and pace, Aiston often gave the impression that he was running into dead ends but still made an impressive 40 appearances for Rovers, scoring three goals in the process, in the 2005/06 season before he was released and joined Northampton.
A season down the line and 23 appearances later, Aiston found himself at Burton as he joined Nigel Clough's side on a loan deal on the final day of the summer transfer window in 2007 which is where he remains today.
One To Watch: Poul Hubertz
Danish striker Poul Hubertz is currently in his second season with Northampton having joined them from Millwall during the summer.
The Northampton number 23, who turned 31 the day before Northampton's fixture last Saturday against Huddersfield, started his career at home in Denmark with Aalborg before joining English side Millwall for a nominal fee on August 3rd 2006.
At Millwall, Hubertz struggled to get a regular place in the side. He spent just over a full year with the club, making 38 appearances for the Lions but 23 of these were as a sub. In his year at the New Den, Hubertz scored ten goals.
On August 8th of this year, just three days before the start of the 2007/08 season, Hubertz joined Northampton Town on a free transfer and he has already become a big hit with the Cobblers fans.
Good pace and an excellent finish to boot, Hubertz has played in all ten of Northamptons games so far this season and scored three goals, all of them in the league. Standing a 6 ft 5 inches tall, Hubertz is difficult to mark and will give Rovers defenders trouble for all the time he plays on Saturday.
In League One This Weekend:
It is, as usual, a full fixture list in League One this weekend with a number of big games around the country.
Unbeaten Leeds United travel to Gillingham knowing that a win would move them on to nine points for the season, meaning come 17:00 on Saturday they could lie tenth in the league (if all the results go their way) thanks to their brilliant goal difference.
Leyton Orient, currently top of League One have a very tough fixture away to Bristol Rovers. Martin Ling will be hoping his side can stay top of the table after they slipped up at home to Hartlepool last weekend, losing 4-2 at Brisbane Road, but Paul Trollope's Bristol side go in to the game with a chance of being in the play-offs should they win as they lie just one point off sixth placed Carlisle.
Hartlepool United meanwhile have a chance to move top of League One themselves, should Tranmere and Leytoin Orient both slip up against their opposition this weekend. The Monkey Hangers indeed have a great chance to improve their league position as bottom of the league Walsall travel to Victoria Park, with Walsall having picked up just five points from their opening seven games in what promises to be a difficult season for the Saddlers.
The other side who have a chance of moving top of the table are Yeovil Town. Yeovil, who have the same amount of points as Hartlepool (13) have a poorer goal difference than the Victoria Park side and arguably have a tougher fixture as they face Nottingham Forest at home. Forest themselves lie two points off the play-off places with nine points from their opening seven places and are only just ahead of Northampton on goal difference so they will be looking for a good away win here.
Team News:
Ronnie Moore will once again be unable to call upon the services of midfielder John Mullin who could miss the next ten weeks with an ankle injury but Danny Coyne (groin) and Calvin Zola (hamstring) will face late fitness tests ahead of the game. Otherwise the Rovers boss is set to have a full team to select from ahead of the game.
Jones' Prediction: Tranmere 2-0 Northampton