Looking up and looking down as old rivals face off on Merseyside

A rather unheralded rivalry in English football will see another chapter written this weekend as North West clubs Tranmere Rovers and Bolton Wanderers square off at Prenton Park.

While the two aren’t exactly a million miles apart geographically, this wouldn’t really be considered a local derby. The bitterness stems from a play-off clash in the early 1990’s but the lack of supporters in Birkenhead should take plenty of sting out of this particular match.

Rovers come into this one on the back of a single defeat in their previous five league games and are sitting just inside the top half in 11th. They are currently only four points off the play-off positions and a win here would have them within touching distance.

The arrival of U17 World Cup winner Nya Kirby on loan from Crystal Palace will aid in this pursuit although it remains to be seen if he will be available for tomorrow’s game.

Tranmere have no new injury concerns to report with defender Liam Ridehalgh still unavailable. Manager Keith Hill will be hoping his current team can complete the double over his previous employers after a 3-0 win at the University of Bolton Stadium in December.

Bolton themselves on the other hand will be wary that they don’t get dragged into a relegation battle. They were tipped by many for promotion this season following the appointment of Ian Evatt and the signing of Eoin Doyle but results have not matched expectation.

They are currently 17th, seven points clear of the drop albeit with a game in hand over Grimsby. Most fans don’t actually think they’ll get sucked into that battle but they’ll be looking for points here for a bit more breathing space.

Wanderers have had one win in their last eight league games, a run stretching back to the beginning of December and have yet to win in 2021. In terms of away form however, they have only lost one game in their previous six which may bode well for Saturday afternoon.

Kieran Lee is ruled out for Evatt’s side with a muscle injury while Declan John and Shaun Miller remain absent. Lee may be back for the midweek visit to Mansfield.

A win for Bolton could see them move to 13th and such is the congestion around the middle of the table, they could potentially be only five points from the play-offs. Psychologically it would provide a massive lift for the second half of the campaign.

The continued absence of fans will take a little bit of away from this fixture but there’s enough at stake on the pitch to ensure a fiercely competitive game with bragging rights going the way of the victors.

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