3.00 Saturday 02/02/2019
Everything seems to finally be coming together. Owen Oyston's financial control over Blackpool Football Club is non-existent, sales for Southend are proliferating and the club feels like a huge weight has been taken off its shoulders. Blackpool on the pitch have a busy week ahead, a week that begins with a trip to Bristol.
Injuries and Suspensions:
Bristol have a fully fit squad and will look to use this to their advantage.
Blackpool have a number of players doubtful, with those in question Virtue, Bola and Guy.
Ryan and Clayton remain as long term absentees.
The History:
Bristol Rovers, also known as The Pirates or The Gas, were established in 1883. They finished in a respectable 13th position last season, but this season they have been dragged into a relegation scrap. Blackpool will travel to the 12,296 capacity Memorial Stadium to take on the strugglers on Saturday.
Rovers have never been in the top flight, but have been in the second tier a few times, but have spent recent times predominantly in League 1 and 2. In that time, they have also finished second in the Football League Trophy twice, but have never won the competition. Their only ever time out of the Football League was in the 2014/15 season, when they briefly dropped into the Conference Premier.
The Manager:
Graham Coughlan has taken on his first manager's job at Bristol. As a player, he played as a defender, with his main clubs being Livingston, Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Shrewsbury. His tall figure and physical strength served him well in a career that spanned for 19 years.
He initially joined The Pirates as a defensive coach in 2018, but at the end of 2018 was presented the caretaker manager's position. He got the job on a permanent basis early this year, following a positive start. His team currently sits 2 points from safety and 4th from bottom.
Star Men:
Jack Bonham: The goalkeeper, who is on loan from Brentford, has asserted himself well this season. He has also played for Watford and Carlisle. His huge frame aids him in claiming crosses and he is also a good shot stopper. He has 12 clean sheets this season and has conceded just 30 goals in 33 games, proving that Bristol's problems lie at the opposite en of the pitch.
Tony Craig: The experienced left sided centre back has played more than any other player for Bristol this season, with 39 games in total to his name. He has also played for Leyton Orient, Crystal Palace, Wycombe Wanderers, Brentford and most notably Milwall, where he played 316 times. He is part of a tough defence at Bristol.
Ollie Clarke: Ollie Clarke has been one of the most prolific players this season for Bristol, having scored 6 goals from midfield, 2 of which came in the reverse fixture. The 26 year old has been a driving force in midfield this season, but those around him have not done enough. In total he has played 222 times for Bristol and has 99 games of League 1 experience.
Stats:
1 win in their last eight, including 5 draws, Bristol have only won at home twice this season. Rovers, although not bad defensively, are not scoring enough goals and therefore, are not turning these common draws into wins. They have scored just 0.94 goals per game, but defensively have conceded just 1.12. Bristol are never really defeated by a landslide and are almost always in games, but fail to have a knack of grinding out results. They entertain Blackpool this Saturday, a team that lost against an Oxford side who won their first away game of the season last weekend.
Last Meeting:
McPhillips Preview:
Thompson Preview:
Prediction: 0-3
Blackpool will be looking to bounce back following a underwhelming defeat to Oxford. Another loss, or even a draw, would be disastrous. Blackpool have had a week to recover and, if they want to stay in the playoff race, a win is imperative. Blackpool should be able to easily win this one, but Blackpool have generally struggled with getting the job done against the lower teams in the division.