The League Two play-off semi-finals are one-quarter complete after last night’s 1-1 draw between Newport County and Mansfield Town. The second of the two semi-finals gets going tonight when Tranmere Rovers host Forest Green Rovers at Prenton Park.
Tranmere Rovers Host Forest Green Rovers
How They Got Here
Tranmere are experiencing their first season back at Football League level after a sting down in non-league. They were successful in the National League play-offs last season and that momentum has carried them pretty much all the way through the season.
Striker James Norwood has had another terrific season, scoring 29 goals in the league, resulting in rumours of a bid from relegated Championship side Ipswich Town.
Forest Green are another team that have surprised everybody by getting to this point. They only survived last season by a single point in what was their first ever season in the Football League. Their promotion the season before came by beating their opponents tonight in the National League play-off final at Wembley.
Christian Doidge is their top scorer this season with 14, despite playing the first half of the season on loan at Championship side Bolton Wanderers. He was due to join the Trotters permanently in January but the deal fell through when Bolton were hit by a transfer embargo.
Head to Head
The two regular season matches between these sides earlier in the season were the first time they had met in the Football League – mainly because it was Forest Green’s first season at the level.
Both games went the way of the Nailsworth side, winning 3-1 at the New Lawn before needing just a single goal to win at Prenton Park.
They also had the better of Tranmere in the 2016/17 National League season, drawing 2-2 at home before once again winning 1-0 on Merseyside.
Prediction
Both sides know how important a game this is. Tranmere are looking to return to League One after their demise took them down into non-league, while Forest Green’s ambition under owner Dale Vince has always been to play at as high a level as possible.
Tranmere’s form going into the tie is a concern, winning just one of their last five games in the League Two season (a 2-1 home win against MK Dons). Forest Green also finished the season relatively poorly, losing and drawing their last two respectively after a run of three straight wins in their last five.
It’s going to be tight, but Forest Green have had something special about them this season and will most likely be the more confident side going into it. Confidence can take you a long way.
Prediction: Tranmere Rovers 0-1 Forest Green Rovers
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