Final game of promotion-winning year for both clubs
In a meeting of two promoted sides tomorrow, AFC Wimbledon will be aiming to pull off another significant victory on the road during a highly successful 2016.
The Dons have yet to win in four previous visits to the Memorial Stadium since returning to the Football League, but don’t forget that this year did bring that long-awaited win at Oxford!
Manager Darrell Clarke has engineered two successive promotions at Rovers, who finished in the third automatic place in League 2 last season – 10 points above Neal Ardley’s men.
One of our Wembley heroes Kelle Roos is likely to be on the bench for Rovers tomorrow after signing on loan from Derby County in August.
QUOTES
Neil Cox:
“They (Bristol Rovers) are in good form and it will be difficult. They play 4-4-2 sometimes or 3-5-2 and they score goals. It’s a difficult place to go. It’s our last game of the year so we want to go there and try to get three points.
“It’s been an absolutely brilliant year. We are not going to have a go at the players for one disappointing display at Southend. It is not going to ruin what we have done, but we cannot afford for it to happen again.”
Marcus Stewart (Rovers assistant manager):
“They (Wimbledon) are a decent, organised team and they have pushed on in this league on the back of winning the play-offs. We know all about them and they will know all about us. It will be a similar type of game to last year. They have a lot of players from last season still. A bit like ourselves, if you can keep that core of players who are a good group and know how you work, good things can be achieved. That’s what they have done in the last couple of years. To get 33 points is a great total for us at the halfway stage and hopefully we can push ourselves on up the table.”
TEAM NEWS
For Wimbledon, Lyle Taylor is suspended for one game after his sending off at Southend on Boxing Day and Chris Whelpdale (groin) is not yet ready to return.
Rovers are still without defender Jack Clarke-Salter due to injury.
LAST MEETING
Bristol Rovers 3 AFC Wimbledon 1 (8 March 2016, League 2)
(Last 6 in all competitions, starting with most recent)FORM GUIDE
Bristol Rovers WLWLLL
AFC Wimbledon LWLLWD
LAST TIME OUT
Southend United 3 AFC Wimbledon 0
Bristol Rovers 4 Coventry City 1
MATCH COMMENTARY
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