Setting the scene…
Tranmere Rovers are back on the road on Saturday when Micky Mellon’s side make the trip to Stadium MK for a League Two fixture at MK Dons.
Rovers will be aiming to bounce back to winning ways in Buckinghamshire, following on from last weekend’s 1-0 home defeat to Newport County
Fraser Franks scored the only goal as the Exiles inflicted a first home defeat on Tranmere since their return to the EFL, a result that leaves Rovers 13th in the league.
Saturday’s opponents have also returned to the fourth-tier, having suffered relegation from League One last term.
Following on from their first nine outings back in League Two, the Dons are 11th in the division, a point adrift of the play-off positions.
Under the stewardship of new boss Paul Tisdale, MK have collected 14 points so far, and were held to a 1-1 draw at Yeovil Town on Tuesday.
The Dons season so far
After relegation back into League Two for the first time in a decade, MK will be hoping their stay back in English football’s fourth-tier is brief.
Following Dan Micciche’s departure, former Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale, who spent 12 years in charge of the Devon club, was appointed as the man tasked to take the Dons up.
MK are currently winless from their last four games, which has yielded draws with Swindon Town, Forest Green Rovers and Yeovil Town, as well as a late defeat away at table-toppers Lincoln City last Saturday.
Should they beat Tranmere and results go their way, MK could move into the top seven of League Two.
One to Watch
Kieran Agard has been leading the way in the goalscoring charts for MK Dons this term.
The Londoner turned professional with Everton in 2005, spending brief spells at Peterborough United and Scottish side Kilmarnock whilst on the books of the Toffees.
He left Goodison Park permanently in 2011, spending a season at Yeovil Town, finding the net six times in Somerset.
In July 2012, Agard signed for Rotherham United, enjoying success in a two year stay in South Yorkshire.
Scoring six goals as the Millers won promotion from League Two in 2012/13, Agard flourished the following campaign, with the striker on target 21 times in 46 games as Rotherham gained back-to-back promotions under, this time to the Championship, under the Wembley arch.
Dropping down a level that summer to sign for Bristol City, Agard’s 13 strikes saw the Ashton Gate outfit promoted to the Championship as League One champions.
In August 2016, he signed for MK Dons, and has 20 goals in 88 appearances at Stadium MK, including three this term.
The Referee
Officiating our game away at MK Dons will be Surrey-based referee Lee Collins.
This season, Collins has taken charge of two games, both in League Two - Stevenage’s win over Grimsby Town and Cheltenham Town’s win at Northampton Town, dishing out four yellow cards in those games.
Lisa Rashid and Stephen Brown will run the line while Paul Howard is the fourth official.
Collins last refereed Tranmere in January 2015, during our 2-1 win away at Exeter City.
Tickets
Tickets for Tranmere Rovers’ clash at MK Dons this weekend remain on sale.
We have been given an initial ticket allocation of 500 tickets with five pairs of wheelchair and carer tickets.
The SWA will be located in the North Stand Lower.
Prices are as follows:
Adult: £22.00
Senior (Over 65): £17.00
Under 18: £7.00
Carer: Free
All disabled supporters are charged as the age applicable.
Please note that there is no price increase on the day. However, we do encourage you to buy tickets in advance to avoid queuing at the away ticket booth and the turnstiles.
The away ticket booth is also cash only.
Match Coverage
If you aren’t planning to make the trip to MK Dons, then here’s how you can keep in touch with the action.
Full match commentary of the fixture will be exclusively available live from Stadium MK.
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