Our prediction for this League 2 match:
Saturday’s football game at Spotland Stadium pits together Rochdale and Grimsby Town, the two bottom table sides, who are still eyeing their first triumphs of the season. The Dale gave fans some cheer on Tuesday evening as they defeated Burton 2-0 in the EFL Cup, but they need to keep on improving their game. Keep in mind that all Campbell, Charman, Kelly, and Keohane have been struggling with injuries at the start of the season.
The Black and Whites, on the other hand, rolled over Crewe 4-0 in their EFL Cup opener. Grimsby aim to give fans yet another reason for celebration, but beating Rochdale on the road is easier said than done. Taking everything into account, we believe that there is a big value in betting on draw. There are no fresh injury worries in the away team ahead of Saturday’s clash.
Highlighted Player (Eoghan O\'Connell):
Eoghan O’Connell is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a center back for Rochdale. O'Connell, who hails from the village of Douglas, was born on the 13th of August, 1995. In his early days, the defender used to play for two renowned Irish academies in College Corinthians and Avondale United before switching to the Celtic Academy in 2011.
He made his professional debut on the 29th of March, 2014, featuring in Celtic's 1-1 draw against Ross Country in the Scottish Premiership. His time at the Hoops included sporadic first-team appearances and loan spells with teams Oldham Athletic, Cork City, and Walsall. However, he won Celtic's Academy Player of the Year 2014 award and was included in the reputed Irish publication Journal.ie's " 10 most promising young Irish Footballers" article. His search for regular playing time brought O'Connell to Bury, whom he joined in June 2017.
He remained at the club for two seasons before signing for his current club Rochdale on a two-year contract starting on the 4th of July, 2019. Additionally, the 24-year-old has capped for the Republic of Ireland's under-19 and the under-21 team. He made his under-21 debut on the 2nd of September, 2017, in a 2-0 UEFA European Under-21 Qualifier win over Slovenia.
Highlighted Team (Grimsby):
Founded back in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham, Grimsby Town are a professional football club that compete in League Two, the English fourth tier. Grimsby Town welcome their opponents at Blundell Park, the stadium which has the capacity of 9,027 people (all seated).
The Pilgrims are well known for their black jerseys with white stripes, whilst blue is the dominant colour of their away kit. Grimsby Town made it to the FA Trophy final on two occasions (2012/13, 2015/16), but they have yet to win the title in the competition. The likes of Hull City and Scunthorpe United are regarded as the club’s main rivals.
The Pilgrims registered their biggest win on September 4, 1925, as they crushed Tranmere Rovers 8-0. Speaking of their heaviest loss, Grimsby Town were beaten by Arsenal 9-1 on January 28, 1931. Pat Glover is sitting in top position in the club’s all-time goal-scoring chart with 180 league goals on his account.