The inconsistent form for the Robins continues after Saturday’s woes at home to Exeter City in front of a bumper crowd at SN1. Ben Garner will be hoping to resolve the issues as his Swindon side travel to the Wirral to take on a Tranmere Rovers side flying high in the top two in League Two.
It was another disappointing display on Saturday afternoon against an Exeter side like Swindon are harbouring aspirations for the play-offs or maybe higher. For sixty to sixty-five minutes, Swindon were in control and looked very organised and controlling the game with ease. The unfortunate injury to Jordan Lyden happens and the substitution of Josh Davison changed the complexion of the game. Swindon lost the physicality and bite in midfield and the physicality up front in both changes.
Exeter grew stronger and you could tell even before the Grecians scored the goal that it had been coming, there had been a couple of warning signs. It was not surprising with the equaliser as it was a stunning goal from Jevani Brown, then the winner just four minutes later from Timothee Dieng was the dagger to the heart. Another poor display and another dent in the aspirations to get out of this league. End to 2021 and the start to 2022 has not been great to Swindon Town. Since the Hartlepool win in late November Swindon Town have only won two out of the last eleven league games and now winless in the last three.
It was confirmed today that Jordan Lyden has ruptured his Achilles and is likely to miss the rest of the season. That is a hammer blow to the player and to the team, Lyden has had rotten luck with injuries since his arrival at Swindon in the summer of 2019. He was coming back to form since his re-introduction to the team in late 2021 and playing a pivotal role in the XI. A big loss. Ben Garner has confirmed that Dion Conroy will miss tomorrow game due to injury and Jack Payne who has been a big miss will out miss tomorrow game but should be available for Saturday.
Predicted XI vs Tranmere
3-5-1-1
Wollacott, O’Brien, Cooper, Odimayo, Hunt, East, Williams, Gladwin, Tomlinson, McKirdy, Davison.
Tranmere Rovers have had a wonderful season to date under Micky Mellon. Tranmere are second in the league two standings behind the runaway leaders Forest Green Rovers. Fifty-two points from twenty-nine games see Mellon side a whopping ten points behind the league leaders Forest Green Rovers. Tranmere are four points clear ahead of third place Sutton United and nine points behind their opponents who they play tomorrow.
Tranmere Rovers form since late November has been outstanding, its just one defeat in the last thirteen League two games. That was a 4-0 humbling home defeat to the league leaders Forest Green Rovers.
The recent form to start 2022 is excellent, one defeat in seven and they have maintained a promotion form going into the business end to the season. Four wins from the last seven games with two draws and the said one defeat. The four wins have come against Scunthorpe which was a 4-0 home win. Rochdale at home which was 2-0 a 1-0 away win at Crawley Town and a 1-0 home win over Stevenage. The two draws have been against Salford City which was a 1-1 away draw and a 1-1 draw away at Barrow which was the weekend that has just gone.
By Scot Munroe