MX23RW : Friday, March 29 08:54:38| >> :120:72057:72057:
[monks data]
Doncaster Rovers
Championship
Feb 1, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
Middlesbrough logo

0-0

FT

Preview: Doncaster Rovers vs. Middlesbrough

Sports Mole previews Saturday's Championship encounter between in-form Doncaster and Middlesbrough at the Keepmoat.

The Doncaster Rovers revival sees them host Middlesbrough at the Keepmoat Stadium on Saturday as they look to keep up their recent drastic improvement in form.

Doncaster ended a nine-match winless streak with a surprise 3-0 win over Wigan Athletic on January 18 and have since drawn with Blackpool and beaten fellow strugglers Charlton Athletic, also by three goals to nil.

That string of results has seen them burst out of the bottom three, and they could move as high as 17th with another victory on Saturday.

They are now four points clear of the relegation zone and have kept clean sheets in their last three home league games having not kept one at the Keepmoat since October before that.

Manager Paul Dickov will be stressing to his side that they are by no means safe yet, but with returning striker Billy Sharp already back amongst the goals, the hosts will be confident going into Saturday's match.

They will be without Jamie McCombe and Rob Jones for the game, but loanee Bongani Khumalo should start in what is expected to be an unchanged lineup.

Middlesbrough will certainly ask questions of Doncaster's renewed confidence as they still have hopes of challenging for the playoffs this season.

They currently sit 10th in the Championship table and are now seven points off the top six after a period of inconsistency that has seen them lose two, win two and draw two of their last six games in all competitions.

Looking just at league form, however, only runaway leaders Leicester City have beaten Middlesbrough in the Championship in their last eight outings.

Worryingly for Aitor Karanka, the goals seem to have dried up a little for his side, with just one coming in their last three matches.

However, on a more positive note, the visitors' away form has improved recently, with a 2-0 defeat to Leicester being their only loss on their travels in five games having gone nine games without an away win before that.

A win by a big enough margin, coupled with other results going their way, could see Middlesbrough rise as high as seventh in the table and would give their playoff hopes a massive boost.

Jonathan Woodgate is once again out for Boro, who will also be missing Rhys Williams for the rest of the season, but Kei Kamara could start for the first time since returning from injury.

Recent form

Doncaster: LLLWDW

Middlesbrough: DLWWLD

Possible starting lineups

Doncaster: Turnbull; Tamas, Khumalo, Meite, Husband; Duffy, Keegan, Wellens, Coppinger; Sharp, Brown

Middlesbrough: Given; Varga, Gibson, Ayala, Friend; Leadbitter, Whitehead; Carayol, Emnes, Ledesma; Kamara

Sports Mole says: 1-1


ID:133985: cacheID:133985:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5497:No Data Analysis info

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Restore Data
Share this article now:
New manager of Wigan Athletic, Uwe Rosler, looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan Athletic at Hillsborough Stadium on December 18, 2013
Read Next:
Preview: Doncaster vs. Wigan
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Mansfield TownMansfield392013679374273
2Stockport CountyStockport382011775403571
3Wrexham392010970482270
4MK Dons40207136354967
5Crewe AlexandraCrewe3918111067551265
6BarrowBarrow381713853401364
7Crawley TownCrawley38185155754359
8Gillingham40178153947-859
9AFC Wimbledon4015131253421158
10Walsall381511125752556
11Newport CountyNewport39167165859-155
12Morecambe39159155968-954
13Harrogate TownHarrogate39159154655-954
14Notts County39156187674251
15Tranmere RoversTranmere40155205957250
16Accrington StanleyAccrington39148175257-550
17Bradford CityBradford391311154653-750
18Doncaster RoversDoncaster38147175162-1149
19Salford City401211176073-1347
20Swindon TownSwindon391111176570-544
21Grimsby Town38815154965-1639
22Colchester UnitedColchester37810194766-1934
23Sutton UnitedSutton40712214571-2633
24Forest Green RoversForest Green3989223865-2733


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!