Preview: Tranmere Rovers vs. Accrington Stanley - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides aiming for a beardown adjacent to the twelvemonth fastener horns successful circular 22 of the League Two arsenic Tranmere Rovers and Accrington Stanley spell caput to caput astatine Prenton Park connected Boxing Day.

With 2 games near to spell successful 2024, some teams find themselves separated by conscionable 2 points and 3 places astatine the bottommost extremity of the standings and volition caput into Thursday's clash successful hunt of a pick-me-up.

Match preview

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Tranmere Rovers were sent crashing backmost down to world successful the League Two arsenic they suffered a 3-1 decision against Doncaster Rovers erstwhile the 2 sides squared disconnected astatine the Eco-Power Stadium past Saturday.

In a crippled wherever Ben Davies received his marching orders, Joseph Olowu, Patrick Kelly and substitute Kyle Hurst each recovered the backmost of the nett to enactment Doncaster successful a commanding pb earlier Sol Solomon pulled 1 backmost with an 83rd-minute strike.

This came conscionable 1 week aft Tranmere snapped their tally of 5 back-to-back games without a triumph crossed each competitions courtesy of a 2-1 location triumph implicit Harrogate Town acknowledgment to goals from Kristian Dennis and Omari Patrick.

Nigel Adkins's men person present mislaid 9 of their 20 League Two games truthful acold portion picking up 5 wins and six draws to cod 21 points and beryllium 19th successful the table, but could determination into 17th-place with each 3 points connected Thursday.

Tranmere's underwhelming archetypal fractional of the play has been owing to their struggles successful attack, wherever they person netted conscionable 15 league goals truthful acold — the division's joint-fewest tally — portion they person shipped 29 astatine the other extremity of the pitch.

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Like their Boxing Day host, it has been a turbulent archetypal fractional of the play for Accrington Stanley arsenic they find themselves hovering conscionable supra the information portion heading into the last 2 games of the year.

Having secured a 17th-placed decorativeness past season, John Doolan's broadside person picked up conscionable 19 points from their 20 League Two games to beryllium 22nd successful the table, conscionable 4 points and 1 spot supra 23rd-placed Carlisle United successful the 2nd relegation spot.

Accrington's struggles has been successful nary tiny portion down to their antiaircraft frailty arsenic they person conceded the 2nd astir goals successful the league (36) portion keeping conscionable 3 cleanable sheets — lone Morecambe (1) person managed fewer.

This was highlighted past Saturday erstwhile they suffered a 2-0 decision against Salford City astatine the Wham Stadium aft Haji Mnoga and Cole Stockton netted second-half goals to manus the Ammies their eighth league triumph of the campaign.

With past weekend's defeat, Accrington are present six consecutive league games without a win, losing 3 and claiming 3 draws, and person managed conscionable 1 triumph from 9 games since picking up 3 back-to-back wins successful October.

While Doolan's men volition beryllium looking to halt the rot connected Thursday, they look the stern situation of an opposing broadside who are unbeaten successful 14 of their past 16 encounters, picking up 11 wins and 3 draws since September 2008.

Tranmere Rovers League Two form:

Tranmere Rovers signifier (all competitions):

Accrington Stanley League Two form:

Accrington Stanley signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Tranmere volition person to header without the services of 32-year-old defender Davies, who is suspended aft picking up a reddish paper against Doncaster past clip out.

In his absence, Declan Drysdale volition propulsion for a spot successful the XI, teaming up with Lee O'Connor, Jordan Turnbull and 28-year-old Connor Wood successful the backmost four, with Luke McGee starting successful extremity erstwhile again.

On the wounded front, Tranmere stay without the midfield trio of Brad Walker, Regan Hendry and Saidou Khan, who proceed their spells connected the sidelines, portion 31-year-old guardant Luke Norris is acceptable to beryllium retired his seventh consecutive game.

As for Accrington, the antiaircraft duo of Jake Batty and Jay Rich-Baghuelou person been ruled retired done injuries portion midfielder Dan Martin continues his lengthy spell connected the sidelines since picking up a terrible wounded backmost successful August.

Sebastian Quirk has been retired of enactment since coming disconnected injured against Notts County backmost successful September portion 25-year-old guardant Kelsey Mooney is besides retired of contention for the Boxing Day matchup.

Tranmere Rovers imaginable starting lineup:
McGee; O'Connor, Drysdale, Turnbull, Wood; Finley, Merrie; Dennis, Jennings, Patrick; Saunders

Accrington Stanley imaginable starting lineup:
Crellin; Aljofree, Rawson, Love; O'Brien, Woods, Coyle, Khumbeni; Whalley, Walton, Costelloe

We say: Tranmere Rovers 2-1 Accrington Stanley

With conscionable 2 points separating Tranmere and Accrington astatine the incorrect extremity of the table, we expect some sides to spell each retired successful hunt of a morale-boosting effect arsenic they look to stitchery momentum up of the caller year. Adkins's men person won their astir caller 4 location games against Accrington and we are backing them to travel distant with each 3 points erstwhile again, albeit by the unusual goal.

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