Tranmere Rovers look to build on last weekend’s encouraging point away at Northampton, with Micky Mellon’s side visiting Blundell Park on Saturday afternoon to face Grimsby Town.
Tranmere will be aiming to turn recent draws in valuable wins, starting this Saturday afternoon in Lincolnshire.
The hosts, Grimsby Town, sit 16th in the table, however a win for the Mariners would push them onto the same points as Rovers, with a game in hand.
Tranmere come into the game just three points ahead of Grimsby in 14th – but a win for the visitors could push them into 10th – potentially just three points from the play-offs.
After Rovers’ goalless draw away at Northampton Town last weekend, boss Micky Mellon said, “We’re disappointed that we haven’t taken three points. We had the better chances and their goalkeeper’s got man of the match – that tells you everything you need to know about the game.”
Grimsby Town come into Saturday’s game without a league win since mid-October – picking up just two points since then, despite qualification to the Emirates FA Cup Third Round, where they will face Burton Albion at home.
A win would lead Tranmere nicely into two important home fixtures before the New Year period, when Crawley Town and Doncaster Rovers visit Prenton Park.
One To Watch: Harry Clifton
Harry Clifton, born in Grimsby, is a midfielder for Grimsby Town – the top scorer for the club in the 2022/23 season.
Town’s number 15 has made 161 appearances so far for the Mariners – scoring 15 goals since his first professional contract back in 2015.
Clifton has made 6 appearances for Wales U21s – before making his first professional appearance for Grimsby, which was in 2017.
Clifton signed a new 2-year deal with Saturday’s hosts in June 2022, lasting until summer 2024.
The midfielder has scored 5 goals and had 1 assist in 23 appearances in all competitions this season – leading the line as Grimsby’s top scorer.
The Manager: Paul Hurst
Hurst began his footballing career as a player for Rotherham United – where he signed his first professional contract in 1993, aged 19 – featuring as a left back.
Hurst went on to make 438 appearances for the Millers, scoring 13 goals from the defence – solidifying himself as a legend at the New York Stadium.
He went out on loan to Burton Albion, who were in the conference at the time, to regain fitness after a lengthy injury. Despite being offered a trial at Mansfield Town following being released from Rotherham in 2008, he turned it down to pursue a career in management.
Hurst started his management career at Northern Premier League Premier Division outfit, Ilkeston Town, in January 2009 as joint manager with former Rotherham team mate, Rob Scott – leading the team to promotion to the Conference North in 2009 in their first season.
Scott and Hurst made the move to Boston United in the summer of 2009 – also gaining promotion and completing the treble in the 2009-10 season – NPL Challenge Cup, League Play-Off Final and the Lincolnshire Senior Shield.
The pair moved to Grimsby Town in 2011, before Rob Scott parted ways with Town – leading Paul Hurst to take the team alone. Hurst led the team to promotion from the National League in the play-off final at Wembley, with a 3-1 win over Forest Green Rovers.
Stints at Shrewsbury Town came in 2016, after Micky Mellon departed to become manager of Tranmere Rovers – and short spells at Ipswich Town and Scunthorpe United – all of which ended relatively unsuccessfully.
Hurst returned to Blundell Park in 2020, but despite his best efforts, Town were relegated again to the National League. In the first attempt, they bounced back up to League Two, with the Mariners beating Notts County this summer in the play-off final at the London Stadium. Hurst signed a new contract in September to keep him at Grimsby for the foreseeable future.
Match Coverage:
Due to the upcoming FIFA 2022 World Cup, all of our upcoming games during the tournament will be streamed live on iFollow!
Usually, only supporters living abroad are eligible to stream games on Saturday at 3pm but this rule will not be in place during the World Cup with UK supporters having access to all games with a match pass.
You can follow the action through our social media channels below, with full text coverage during the fixture, followed by a match report.
Twitter: @tranmererovers
Facebook: @trfcofficial
Instagram: @tranmererovers
Match reaction from Micky Mellon and a player will follow on our website and YouTube channel.
Live commentary of this match has not yet started.
key moments
Updated at
There are currently no key moments to display.