Our prediction for this League 1 match:
Bristol Rovers will be aiming to build on back-to-back wins over Carlisle United and Leyton Orient when they face Derby County on Saturday afternoon. The Pirates are eyeing their third consecutive league win, but beating the Rams is easier said than done. As important defender James Wilson misses out through suspension, home win should not be considered. Jack Hunt limped off with injury in the triumph over Leyton, with Harvey Vale likely to replace him in the starting XI.
The Rams, on the other hand, aim to build on a 3-0 win over Port Vale and given the aforementioned absentees in the home team, we predict that the promotion hopefuls are going to emerge triumphant in Saturday’s encounter. A man to keep an eye on in the away team will be Louie Sibley, who scored a brace against the Valiants. Paul Warne has no fresh injury concerns.
Highlighted Player (Conor Hourihane):
Conor Hourihane is an Irish footballer who plays for Barnsley. The midfielder was born on 2 February, 1991 and he started his youth career at Premier League club Sunderland. In 2011 he joined Plymouth Argyle and he spent three years at Home Park.
After scoring 15 goals in 125 appearances for the Pilgrims in 2014 Hourihane decided to take next big step in his career. On 23 June he signed a three-year deal with Barnsley for a fee of £250,000. In August he won the League One Player of the Month award and, no doubt, he made a flying start to his Barnsley career. Hourihane made 46 appearances for the Tykes in the 2014/2015 League One campaign, scoring 15 goals and he certainly helped the team return to the Championship.
The Irish midfielder has eight caps for the U-21 team. His main position is central midfield, but he is capable of playing as defensive and left midfielder as well. Conor Hourihane is a right-footed footballer.
Highlighted Team (Bristol Rovers):
Established back on August 1, 1883, Bristol Rovers are one of the oldest clubs in the League One. Bristol Rovers were formed after a meeting at the Eastville Restaurant under the name of Black Arabs after the Arabs rugby team.
This name, though, lasted no more than one season as the club was renamed Eastville Rovers in 1884. Five years later the club’s name was officially changes to Bristol Rovers. Nicknamed the Pirates, Bristol Rovers welcome their opponents at Memorial Stadium Horfield, the venue with the capacity of 12,296. Bristol Rovers are well known for their blue and white home kit, but they are dressed in yellow when playing on the travels.
Ricky Lambert, who used to play for the likes of Southampton and Liverpool in the Premier League, is regarded as one of the club’s most notable footballers. It has to be noted that Lambert scored 51 goals in 128 appearances for the Pirates in the league.