Rovers travel to Northampton Town on Saturday afternoon with promotion firmly on the radar. Two wins in a week at The Mem, against Harrogate and Colchester, have propelled the Gas into seventh spot and a visit to the side currently in second spot certainly whets the appetite.
Manager's Preview
Joey Barton has said that everyone is champing at the bit to be involved in the closing stages of the league season.
"When you’re in such a good run of form, the team unfolds along that run and competition for jerseys right across the season has been very interesting to watch.
But as you’re getting into the closing stages and the final stretch now, the lads are making it very easy for team selection due to the results, performances and clean sheets, and long may that continue.
We know there are nine games to go and lots of teams are scrapping away and everybody in this division so far has been hugely competitive. Every match we’ve had since the campaign started.
I do feel it is setting up the league table for an exciting end for the neutral. From our perspective, we’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing, keep turning up for each other.
There are going to be lots of twists and turns between now and the end of the season and we’ve just got to make sure in every match situation we take maximum points, just what the lads have been doing since the turn of the year.
At Northampton tomorrow, we get an opportunity to leapfrog or go level with teams who are very close in the table, but if you win on Saturday you’re not promoted, and equally, if you lose Saturday your season is not over.
It’s all to play for, but again for us, nothing changes. It is a top-end-of-the-table clash now. The table is so compact behind Forest Green, who are out in front and we’ve got to make sure we turn up and give a great account of ourselves."
Last Time Out
Click to watch our 2-1 win over Northampton in November.
Form Guide
Saturday's hosts currently sit in 2nd place in the League Two standings with a 63-point return from their 37 games this season. In their last five outings, the Cobblers have won two, lost two and drawn one. Their last match was a 2-1 away win at Stevenage, which proved to be the last match in charge for ex-Rovers boss Paul Tisdale.
Ref Watch
Oliver Langford has been appointed as the match official for Saturday's clash at Sixfields. In League Two this season, Langford has officiated 3 games, where he has shown eight yellow cards and a single red card. Overall this season, he has taken charge of 30 matches and shown 120 yellow and two reds.
Betting Preview
EFL sponsors, Sky Bet have priced Rovers at 2/1 for the away win on Saturday afternoon, with their hosts priced at 11/8. Rovers can also be backed at 14/1 to win the game 3-0. On the goalscorer markets, Aaron Collins is priced at 5/1 to open the scoring.
Odds correct at the time of writing. To bet with Sky Bet please click HERE. Please bet responsibly.