Setting the scene…
Tranmere Rovers are back on their travels this Saturday for a Sky Bet League Two fixture away at promotion chasing Bury.
Micky Mellon’s side head into the Gigg Lane contest on a high, having set up an FA Cup third-round tie with Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur at Prenton Park in January after Connor Jennings’ first-half double saw Rovers progress 2-0 at Southport on Monday night.
Having suffered a 3-2 defeat away to Notts County last Saturday, Rovers are eighth, a place outside the Play-Off positions.
Team news
Manager Micky Mellon confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Ollie Banks will not be available for the game through injury, but has no other fresh injury concerns ahead of the game.
The Shakers season so far
After suffering relegation at the end of last season, under the management of Ryan Lowe, Bury are aiming for an immediate return to the third-tier.
Lowe, who spent three spells at Bury as a player, as well as a season with Rovers, where he scored 19 league goals in 2013/14, was appointed as the club’s permanent boss in May having served as interim manager.
The Shakers are currently fourth in a division that they are gracing for the first time since 2015, two points behind Colchester United in the final automatic promotion position.
Winning 10 of their 22 fixtures this term, Bury’s form at their Gigg Lane home is impressive, with the Greater Manchester club losing just once in front of their own fans.
Should they earn three points and results go their way, Bury could move up to third.
One to Watch
Striker Nicky Maynard has been in impressive form for Bury this season, leading the club’s goal-scoring charts with eight.
A native of Winsford, Cheshire, Maynard graduated from Crewe Alexandra’s youth set-up, and went onto spend three years as a professional at Gresty Road, scoring 32 times in 59 appearances for the Railwaymen.
After leaving Crewe in 2008, Maynard teamed up with Bristol City and would spend four years at Ashton Gate, making 124 appearances at the Robins prior to a brief stint at West Ham United in 2012, with whom he won promotion to the Premier League with, via the Play-Offs.
Following his stay at the Hammers, Maynard has turned out for Cardiff City, MK Dons and Scottish side Aberdeen on permanent deals, as well as spending time on loan at Wigan Athletic.
The 31-year-old left Pittodrie in the summer after a year on Scotland’s East Coast, to sign for Bury, where he has found the net on a regular basis for Lowe’s men.
Tickets
We have sold out of our initial allocation of 1000 tickets for our away fixture at Bury on Saturday 22nd December. We have been given an additional 300 tickets with another 400 being made available on the turnstile as a first come first served basis
Prices are as follows:
Adult: £20
Senior 65+/Under 23: £14
Under 18: £10
Under 16: £7
Under 12*: £5
Under 5*: Free
Disabled: £14 Carer free of charge if needed.
*Under 12s and Under 5s must be accompanied by an adult
Match tickets will go off sale on 21st December at 5pm.
Tickets can be bought online here or in store now.
Match Coverage
Can’t make it to Rovers away game at Bury on Saturday? Don’t worry as you can keep up with goings on at Gigg Lane.
You can now sign up to Tranmere Rovers’ iFollow, which allows access to extended highlights and interviews with manager Micky Mellon and a player, after the game.
To sign up, click here
Alternatively, 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