Football – England – League One
Saturday 5th January 2013 – Kickoff: 1500hrs
Third placed Doncaster Rovers have a great chance to close the gap on League One leaders Tranmere Rovers when they entertain fifth from bottom club Colchester United at the Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Doncaster have returned some indifferent results in the last few matches with wins over Oldham Athletic and Preston NE (both away from home), drawing with Swindon Town away and Sheffield United at home along with a 1-4 home defeat to Coventry City.
It’s been a similar story with their home form too but they have a great opportunity to improve on their current home form which currently stands at 5-2-5 15/16 but they have failed to score a goal on home soil on just three occasions in their last fifteen at the Keepmoat which could spell trouble for visitors Colchester who have been goal-shy so far this term.
Rovers also have a number of key attacking players such as David Cotterill (9 goals, 9 assists), striker Billy Paynter (7 goals, 3 assists), James Coppinger and forward Iain Hume who could really cause havoc this afternoon.
Visitors Colchester United find themselves just one place and two points above relegation candidates Portsmouth and a trip up to third placed Doncaster can’t be a fixture they’d be looking forward to on the back of seven straight League One defeats which has resulted in them perched precariously just above the drop zone.
It’s a very different Colchester side that won four of their six matches back in October, but the Essex side’s form has really slumped to an alarming degree and they need to pick up points quickly to avoid an anxious last few weeks in the season. Away from home, the story doesn’t get any better having lost their last five on the trot including failing to score in their last three matches on their travels.
Colchester’s away record stands at 2-2-9 9/24 and they are also the league’s lowest goalscorers away from home. In fact, The U’s have failed to score in 7 of their 13 away matches so far and they could be in for a tough afternoon. I just can’t see where their next goals are going to come from.
Doncaster have the motivation to keep in touch with the top two clubs and a goal-shy Colchester side who have been woeful away from home presents the perfect opportunity for all three points here which I expect Rovers to achieve. 2-0 to Doncaster.
Pick: Doncaster Rovers straight win @ 1.76 Pinnacle
