Bristol Rovers v Derby County
Sky Bet League One, Memorial Stadium, Saturday 9 March 2024, 3pm
Rovers welcome Derby County to The Mem on Saturday.
Matt Taylor’s side return to Sky Bet League One action at home following an impressive 1-0 win away at Leyton Orient last time out, a victory that puts the Gas eleventh in the division.
Derby, meanwhile, are third in the table and on the hunt for automatic promotion to the Championship. Paul Warne’s side were comfortable 3-0 winners against Port Vale at the weekend.
Tickets
Supporters are kindly reminded that there are no in-person sales from the ticket office on Matchday.
Only online sales are available from 4pm on Friday 8 March until kick-off on Saturday 9 March.
Tickets will only be available to supporters with an existing ticket account and a purchase history with the Club.
Form Guide
Last weekend’s victory at Leyton Orient, secured thanks to Chris Martin’s deft first-half header, means Rovers have claimed three wins in their last four league outings. Comeback victories against Carlisle United and Stevenge have earned the side nine points from 12 available.
Only three other sides in League One can boast a better run of form in the last four games.
Derby’s 3-0 win over Port Vale put the Rams back on the right path, having lost their previous two league matches. A defeat at Barnsley was followed by a home loss to Charlton Athletic, although it is worth noting that Derby were on a five-match unbeaten run in League one prior to those losses.
Opposition
It has been a tough few years for Derby County.
The Midlands side were forced into administration in 2021, bringing points deductions and transfer embargos, while speculation persisted around the very future of the club itself.
Amidst the ongoing off-the-field turmoil, Derby were relegated to League One in 2022, putting them in the third-tier of English football for the first time since 1986.
It is from League One though that hope has begun to sprout for the future of Derby County.
A new owner was found in local businessman David Clowes and the purchase helped the Club to step out of administration not long after. The lifting of the transfer embargo in May 2023 finally put the Rams back on a level footing, one which they hope they can compete from.
In manager Paul Warne, who joined Derby in September 2022, the Rams brought in a boss with ample experience of achieving promotion to the Championship; something he achieved three times with Rotherham United.
Having missed out on the play-offs last season, by one point, Warne insisted the campaign was a ‘failure’ by Derby’s standards. Sat third in the table heading into this Saturday’s fixture, following an extensive squad rebuild in the summer and the addition of more new faces in January, the Rams are hoping to finally be on the up after years of misery.
Previous Meetings
Derby have historically proven to be a tricky opponent for Rovers.
The Rams secured a late 2-1 win over the Gas in the reverse fixture earlier this season. While Chris Martin believed he had secured the away side a share of the spoils on 87 minutes, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing struck to give all three points to the hosts.
In this fixture last season, David McGoldrick gave Derby the lead but Rovers bit back late, taking a point from the clash courtesy of a calm and cool finish from the penalty spot by Antony Evans in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Prior to County’s relegation to League One, Rovers and the Rams had not met in league football since March 1993. The two teams would meet twice in that near-two decade spell, with both games coming in the FA Cup.
One of those was a famous, Nathan Ellington-inspired win, with the striker’s hat-trick setting the Gas on the way to a 3-1 victory at Pride Park in the FA Cup third round in 2002.
Supporter information
Match Officials
Referee: Lee Swabey
Assistant Referees: Thomas Staten and James Vallance
Fourth Official: Steven Plane
What Are The Odds?
Rovers are currently available at 13/5 for the win while Chris Martin is at 7/1 to score the first goal at The Mem on Saturday.
Odds correct at the time of writing. To see more information click HERE. Please bet responsibly.