MX23RW : Friday, March 29 06:53:55| >> :120:64814:64814:
[monks data]
Leicester logo
Championship
May 3, 2014 at 12.15pm UK
 
Doncaster Rovers

1-0

Nugent (75' pen.)
FT(HT: 0-0)

Preview: Leicester City vs. Doncaster Rovers

Sports Mole previews relegation-threatened Doncaster's trip to face champions Leicester on the final day of the Championship season.

Doncaster Rovers could not have wished for a tougher end to their season as they travel to the King Power Stadium to take on champions Leicester City with their Championship status hanging in the balance.

Rovers go into the final day precariously perched one place and one point above the bottom three, needing a victory to guarantee survival.

While they will be more pleased that their fate is in their own hands rather than being dependent on another team losing, the size of the task facing Doncaster at the weekend means that they could still need other results to go their way in order to stay up.

Birmingham City face a trip to the Reebok Stadium to take on Bolton Wanderers in a game that could have major implications for Paul Dickov's side. Birmingham's superior goal difference means that Doncaster must at least match City's result against Bolton in order to stay up.

Defeat for the Yorkshire side would leave Birmingham only needing a draw, but if Doncaster can hang on for a point then not only would Lee Clark's side need a win, but they could also overtake Millwall on goal difference depending on the Lions' result against Bournemouth.

However, even a draw appears unlikely given that Rovers are now without a win in six matches, picking up a solitary point from a possible 18 in that time. With the teams around them scrapping for their lives to pick up the odd point here and there, such a run of form could prove to be very costly.

This Championship season has been full of twists and turns already, however, and Dickov will be urging his side to provide one more against a team that has comparatively little to fight for.

A Donny victory would arguably go down as the biggest shock of the season yet considering they have the worst away record in the division and are coming up against the best home record.

Rovers have only amassed 13 points on the road all season, with just one win in their last 18 away outings and two all season. They have also scored a league-low 12 goals on their travels.

Rob Jones and Bongani Khumalo are unlikely to play any part in the match due to injury, but Billy Sharp is expected to start up front as the visitors look to spring a shock.

While automatic promotion has been confirmed for a while now, Leicester are refusing to let up in their quest for a century of points this season. Victory over Huddersfield Town last Saturday brought them up to 99, meaning that they only need a draw this weekend to reach the landmark.

The Foxes could have been forgiven for having one eye on next season already, but three consecutive victories without conceding have quashed any thoughts that they could be easier pickings having wrapped up the title.

It has been a thoroughly deserved title success too, with Nigel Pearson's side only having lost one of their last 26 league outings and boasting both the best home record and away record in the division.

They have only lost twice at the King Power Stadium all season and once since November and, despite Doncaster desperately being in need of a positive result, they are not likely to get an easy ride from Leicester.

Pearson could make a number of changes to his side for the final match of the season and, while he may not start, Kevin Phillips will almost certainly feature in what will be the last game of a stellar career.

Recent form

Leicester: WLDWWW

Doncaster: LLLLDL

Possible starting lineups

Leicester: Schmeichel; De Laet, Wasilewski, Morgan, Konchesky; Knockaert, James, Drinkwater, Mahrez; Vardy, Nugent

Doncaster: Johnstone; Quinn, Meite, Tamas, Stevens; Coppinger, Keegan, Furman, Cotterill; Sharp, Brown

Sports Mole says: 3-1


ID:152820: cacheID:152820:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6024: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:
Doncaster manager Paul Dickov prior to kick off against Wigan on August 20, 2013
Read Next:
Preview: Doncaster vs. Birmingham
>
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!