Preview: Doncaster Rovers vs. Harrogate Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Doncaster Rovers will host relegation-threatened Harrogate Town in League Two at the Eco-Power Stadium on Saturday.

Danny Schofield's side sit in 10th position in the League Two standings, only two points off the playoffs, following three victories in their last five matches. In contrast, The Sulphurites sit precariously above the National League trapdoor.

Match preview

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After being relegated from League One last season, Doncaster Rovers have overseen a change in the dugout, with Danny Schofield replacing Gary McSheffery on October 20.

The former Huddersfield Town manager has fared better than at his former employers, registering three victories from seven matches, most recently defeating Newport County 1-0 on Saturday courtesy of Kyle Knoyle's 58th-minute strike at Rodney Parade.

Prior to their victory last weekend, the Rovers suffered a 2-0 defeat in front of their own supporters against an in-form Walsall outfit, after second-half goals from Thomas Knowles and Saddlers' top scorer Danny Johnson.

Back-to-back defeats would then land on the lap of Schofield as Doncaster suffered a demoralising 3-0 loss to Colchester United on November 19 following strikes in the second 45 minutes from Samson Tovide and Luke Hannant added to Alex Newby's first-half strike.

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Only five points above the relegation zone, Harrogate Town have experienced victory only five times on their footballing palates across 20 matches this season.

After witnessing their match against Northampton Town on Saturday fall foul of the arctic-esque December temperatures, with the pitch at The EnviroVent Stadium frozen over, Simon Weaver's side joined five other sides to sit out last weekend's action.

Before their postponement, The Sulphurites enjoyed a comfortable 4-1 victory over fellow relegation candidates Rochdale on December 3, in part down to a brace from leading scorer Luke Armstrong within five second-half minutes.

Spending their third season in the fourth tier of English football following promotion from the National League in the 2019-20 season, Harrogate could move as high as 18th position with victory on Saturday.

This will be the first-ever competitive meeting between the two sides, with Doncaster emerging as 3-2 victors in their only other head-to-head encounter in August 2021.

Team News

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Following the win against Newport County, it is unlikely that Danny Schofield will want to make any changes to his starting lineup.

After scoring the winning goal against Newport County, Kyle Knoyle is expected to start on the right side of a three-man Rovers defence alongside Ro-Shaun Williams and Tommy Rowe.

After finding the back of the net on nine occasions in League Two this season, George Miller will again lead the line with on-loan Liverpool striker Max Woltman and Harrison Biggins.

Pencilled in to return from a troublesome knee injury against Northampton Town before the winter weather intervened, Alex Pattison should make his overdue reappearance at the Eco-Power Stadium.

Despite the goalscoring exploits of Luke Armstrong, Pattison and Huddersfield Town loanee Matty Daly, Harrogate Town's struggles at the opposite end of the pitch, conceding the third-highest number of goals in the league (30) this season, have prevented the Sulphurites from climbing up the League Two standings.

Doncaster Rovers possible starting lineup:

Mitchell; Williams, Anderson, Biggins; Knoyle, Clayton, Rowe, Hurst; Taylor, Agard, Miller

Harrogate Town possible starting lineup:

Jameson; Ramsay, Ferguson, Burrell, Headley; Daly, Thomson, Grant, Pattison, Folarin; Armstrong

We say: Doncaster Rovers 2-1 Harrogate Town

With Doncaster Rovers sitting just outside of the playoff positions, Danny Schofield's improving side should have enough to overcome struggling, despite improving, Harrogate Town at the Eco-Power stadium.

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