Our prediction for this League 2 match:
Forest Green will look to retain top position in the League Two standings when they take on Rochdale at The New Lawn. The Green Army moved one step closer to securing automatic promotion thanks to a 2-0 win over Newport, but they can’t afford any complacency in the remainder of the season. A man to watch in the home team will be Mathew Stevens, who scored a brace in the last league match.
The Dale, on the other hand, have drawn each of their last three league fixtures. Robbie Stockdale’s troops are safe for now, and given Forest Green’s fine home record, we predict that the visitors are going to return home empty-handed. In their last meeting in the League Two Forest Green defeated Rochdale 2-1, which is yet another reason why home win should be considered.
Highlighted Player (Ben Stevenson):
Ben Stevenson is a product of a Coventry City football academy who plays for Colchester United as a midfielder. Born in Leicester on March 23, 1997, Stevenson started his senior career at Coventry City and made his debut with the Sky Blues on August 9, 2016, in the League Cup game against Portsmouth.
The English footballer moved to Wolverhampton in the 2018/2019 season, but he did not see any game action in the league with the Wolves. After ending his loan spells with Colchester United and Jumilla, Ben Stevenson signed a permanent two-and-a-half year contract with the U’s on January 30, 2019. He made his second debut for Colchester United against Northampton Town on February 2, 2019.
His primary position is central midfield, but he is capable of producing good performances as a defensive midfielder as well. His preferred foot is right, and he wears the number 24 shirt at Colchester.
Highlighted Team (Rochdale):
Nicknamed the Dale, Rochdale are a professional English club that compete in the League One (English third tier). Rochdale were founded back in 1907, after World War I, with the team beating Accrington Stanley 6-3 in their first league game 14 years later.
The Dale wear blue shirts with black stripes and blue shorts when playing at home, whilst gray is the dominant colour of their away kit. Spotland Stadium is the club’s home ground, with the venue holding no more than 10,249 spectators. Bury and Oldham Athletic are considered the club’s fiercest rivals, but they have built up rivalries with the likes of Halifax Town, Burnley, Stockport County, Wigan Athletic and Accrington Stanley as well.
Back in 1962 Rochdale made it to the Football League Cup final, with the team facing Norwich City in the title game. The Canaries proved to be a big catch for the Dale, but this is still considered the club’s biggest success. It has to be noted that the Spotland Stadium outfit have three Lancashire Cup titles as well (1948/1949, 1970/1971, 2004/2005).